Visions of the Dead
by lilmisuzu
Summary: (van-hitomi-dilandau) Amazing how one course of action can easily change fate. Based off the series, Hitomi finds herself in Gaea where the moon and the earth hang in the sky..
1. The Haunting Dreams

Hitomi was of average height. Of average weight, average intelligence (though to some she would appear stupid and I suppose to others she would seem smart), average family, average looking. She was about as normal you could go without being oddly-normal. She had bright green eyes that swirled into emerald before meeting the blackness of her pupil. And they always had a shine to them that made them look like jewels, but of course her being plain and like the rest, that really didn't matter. Her hair was short, but no so short you'd think she was a male, but short enough to receive stares from the more feminine of people. And of course it was a chestnut brown that looked golden when the sun hit it. Only one thing set Hitomi apart from most of the girls from school. Her talent to run. She could run and run, faster than the wind, and not get tired. Her friend Yukari would sit on the bleachers by the track and watch Hitomi run around. Four laps to a mile. And Yukari, who had longer and darker hair, would sit in aw  
  
e to her friends speed.   
  
When Hitomi wasn't running, she was thinking.( Which she did quite a lot.) She would come home, take off her brown and tan uniform, set it upon the chair, change into something a little less stiff, sit at her desk and think. She would usually, a little before nine but no so close that the clock would chime, take off her red-stoned pendent and twirl in and out of her fingers. Weaving it and staring, like in a trance. You can't be quite to sure what Hitomi thought of, because her thoughts were private. If Hitomi was the sea, her thoughts would be the sunken ships thousands of feet below. Her expression was that of cat, watching a piece of string dance threw the wind, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. But before she could pounce and strike, the alarm clock would go off, reminding her to take a shower and get to bed.   
  
"Tick tock, goes the clock." Her mother sang while running the bath water. Hitomi could hear the squeak of the faucet. The bathroom was only a door away from Hitomi's ever-so-neat room. Most Japanese homes were plain and neat. Hitomi's bed was located in the middle of the room, her desk facing the window, and her dresser adjacent to the door. The room to the bathroom faced her bed in a mocking sort of sense, and Hitomi's mirror stood next to that door. "Hitomi! Your bath is ready."  
  
"Coming." Hitomi had not raised her voice enough for her mother to hear, so she shuffled towards the door. Her mother looked tired. The older woman stood in her purple pants and a pink top that buttoned at the top. Her hair was back with a pink cloth headband. And her mothers age showed through the bags under her eyes and the wrinkles delicately placed along her cheeks and hands. In short, to Hitomi, her mother looked like a piece of cloth that folded neatly. Maybe, a sheet that hung on the drying line and blew in the wind. "Thank you."  
  
"Uh-huh. Just be sure not to spill any? If you do, can you please clean it up Hitomi?" Her mother placed a kiss on Hitomis head before disappearing into the living room. Hitomi shut both doors (one to her room, the other to the living room) and began to undress. The steam from the bath had begun to rise and cling to the mirror. Hitomi, feeling like a child, took her finger and wiped parts of the steam away into a smiley face. She smiled back at her creation and stepped into the bath.   
  
The bath was hot, exactly the way Hitomi liked it. At first it scalded her. And then she closed her eyes. She slowly fell into a state of slumber, yet was still aware she was quite awake. And then, Hitomi saw it. In her bath with her. A face, no a body that sat across from her. White. The eyes hollowed out and now black holes were where the eyes should be. Patches of skin hanging off and its teeth were sharp and white. And it b smiled /b at her before it reached out for her throat. And so she screamed. Nothing came out. No words. She was in a total state of panic. Her hands flew to the hand to try and release herself from its Death Grip. As soon as she touched it, she woke.   
  
"What..What was.." Hitomi was shaking, her hands gripping the sides of the tub. The water had turned cold and her skin was wrinkled. Almost immediately, she checked her throat. Nothing. She was alive. "Weird.."   
  
"Hitomi? Are you okay? You've been in there 45 minutes." She heard her mother call her, and slowly rose, her knees hitting each other as fear shook her body, and the chill tingled her bones.  
  
"I'm okay." She stepped out of the tub and threw her white robe around her. Looking in the mirror, her smiley face and become a sad face. She reached her hand and wiped it away to see her reflection. She blinked when she thought she saw her dream-murderer in the mirror. "Nothing there."  
  
---------------------------------------------Episode 1: The Haunting Dreams----------------------------------  
  
Hitomi was still a bit shaken after her dream. She had almost been to afraid to go fall asleep in the safety of her bed. I Knock it off Hitomi, /I she silently scolded herself, I there was nothing there. Nothing and I mean, NOTHING is going to kill you in your sleep. /I She had dressed in her flannel pajamas and eased herself on the end of the bed. Feeling quite foolish, she lifted her feet from off the floor, afraid something might grab her and pull her underneath. The girl took a glance over at the clock. 10:00 p.m. Stretching her arms and plopping back on her twin-sized bed, Hitomi yawned and rolled over on her stomach. "Goodnight."   
  
"Night, darling." Her mother flicked off the lights and shut the door by her dresser. Not at first, but soon after the door had shut, Hitomi scrambled under her blanket and squeezed her eyes shut. I Nothing there, nothing there. /I   
  
After telling herself this a thousand times more, Hitomi drifted off into a soft slumber. There were no ghosts, no goblins or ghouls. Nothing trying to choke the life out of her. And for once, Hitomi believed she was right that nothing was there.  
  
[Scene II]  
  
After an, to Hitomis rejoice, uneventful sleep, she rose and greeted the morning sun with another yawn. She finished her silent yell and checked the clock, as she had done many a times, and to her delight, it was 6:00. This meant she had over an hour to get ready for school. So sluggishly she pulled on her uniform (first the short brown pleaded skirt, then the tan coat with brown trimmings over a white top, with her red bow and socks), and brushed her hair. The light brown locks listened and let her brush guide them to their proper place. "Ah crap. My calick is still up!" Hitomi cursed her first bad luck of the day before trudging into the kitchen for breakfast. Sniffing the air, she could already tell that her mom had made blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, and was that a hint of French toast? "Mom, whatever you made smells delicious!"  
  
"Ah. So you ARE up! I thought we had rats in the apartment when I heard the shuffling." Her mother chuckled at her little joke and placed a plate down on the table. Almost on instinct, Hitomi sat in front of it, her mouth drooling. "I made your favorite..Blue-"  
  
"Berry muffins! Woo-hoo! You're the best!" Hitomi grinned and scarfed down the first one that landed on her plate. Her mother tsked tsked, but laughed when she saw Hitomi fanning her tongue. "Ooo. Hot."  
  
"What time is Yukari coming over?" Hitomi stomped chomping on her muffin and swallowed. And as if she was in deep thought, she furrowed her brows.  
  
"Uhm..erhm.." Hitomi twitched her eye in concentration. And magically by cue, the door flung open and in the doorway was a very hungry looking Yukari.  
  
"B-b-b-blueberry muffins?!?!" If Hitomi was the speed of the wind, Yukari was the speed of light. Before Hitomi had a chance to protest, Yukari had gobbled down five muffins, two eggs, and a piece of toast. "Delicious! Scrumptious!"  
  
"Yukari, those were mine." Hitomi pointed out. Yukari blushed and grinned.  
  
"Don't worry, Hitomi-chan, I'll pay you back!" Yukari then grabbed her by the collar and pulled her along, grabbing both of their backpacks and waved goodbye to Mrs.Kanzaki. "But until than, we need to get to school."  
  
"Bye Mom!" Hitomi called.   
  
"Sooooo. Isaac Newton was the person who did gravity, ne class?" Hitomi was about to fall asleep. Science was the stupidest thing Hitomi had ever heard of. I Wow, gravity fascinating. And my teacher sounds like a complete moron! /I Hitomi thought. "Alright, since we are all sooo smart and know everything about Mr. Newton, take out your pens and a piece of paper. We will be having our test today."  
  
"Awwwwwww." The class groaned, but complied and sat quietly as the test was distributed to each row. Hitomi leaned back and sighed. She knew she would ace the test and her mother would be so proud, but she felt a longing for something more. The days passed outside and she could see the leaves start to fall. Would tomorrow be the same as yesterday and today? A leaf hit itself against one of the windows and Hitomi stared at it. I How sad... I'm stuck in here and outside the leaves are dancing /I, Hitomi sighed. The leaf flickered against the glass, causing Hitomi to look past it. A small girl, pale white against the darkening skies. Her white face was full of sorrow, and her white hair fluttered in the wind, making Hitomi think back to the leaf.  
  
"Why aren't you in school?" she called. The classroom around her melted, and she too was standing outside with the little girl. The leaves flew around them and the swings by the school clanked. She watched the girl approach her and held out a hand.  
  
"I'm lost." The girl said. Her voice was sweet and kind, but Hitomi felt there was more to this story. As she walked towards the little girl, the ground started to sink beneath her.  
  
"H-hey! What's going on?" Hitomi felt herself being swallowed up, the ground took half her body. She struggled against it. "Help! Help me!!"  
  
"No." The girl turned and started to hum and skip towards the swings. I She's ignoring me?! How can- how can she? Why..what's that in her back...blood? /I Hitomi struggled to get herself out of the ground. I Can't breath..can't..am I going to die? /I She stopped struggling and felt herself being shaken.  
  
"Hitomi! No sleeping. Do your test first." Her teacher?  
  
"Wha-?" Hitomi sat up. She had fallen asleep. Her crumpled form was hunched over her desk and there was a small puddle of drool on her sleeve. (yuck!) But...but there was no little girl, no earth-swallowing ground. No swings clanking, so darkened skies. Just a whole bunch of teenagers staring at her. Hitomi blushed. "Sorry."  
  
"Hm." Her teacher sat down at his desk in the front of the room. She picked up her pencil and looked outside. I There is no little girl. There is no little girl. /I No little girl.  
  
[Scene III]  
  
"Sorry I'm late Yukari!" Hitomi jumped down the steps to the track, her balance making her look more of a ballerina then a runner. "Had to finish up a science test."   
  
"Hitomi!!! You're making me look bad, and since I'm the manager, I have to take the blame." Yukari yelled, flailing her arms about like a rabid monkey. Hitomi paid no attention to her, but rather the other people at the track. There was the boys team still running. The sky was clear and the clouds were puffy. And the autumn leaves rustled in the wind.   
  
"Have the boys team gone yet?" Hitomi asked, disinterested in her friend's apparent anger. Yukari sighed and took out her clipboard from a nearby bag.  
  
"Yeah. This is there last run, and I'm pretty sure b HE /b's in it." Yukari chuckled as Hitomi stared in awe at one of the male upper classmen. His hair was short and dark brown, and he was tall and very handsome. He sported white running shorts and a red tank-top. To keep his hair out of his eyes, he put a white bandana on. Hitomi could see him stretching and smiled. I He's got to do great. I know he will. /I  
  
"Alright Guys, this is your last run so make it count." The boy's coach motioned and the set themselves up on the running blocks. As the gun fired off, Amano was in front of all the others. He seemed to be a lot faster and stronger than the others.  
  
"Yeah!" Hitomi cheered him from afar. Yukari was timing him, and when he was done, she jumped.  
  
"Wow! 11 seconds! That's amazing. He did it!" Yukari hugged her friend in, what Hitomi thought, was over-enthusiasm. Hitomi was just smiling when Amano looked her way. She blushed and looked down. Instead of her normal school uniform, as Yukari was wearing, she had on some running pants and a coat to match. She slowly took off the coat to reveal a white..or maybe it was lilac, shirt. Loose fit. Yukari was already busy pulling down her pants, which made Hitomi turn a bright shade of red.  
  
"Yukari!" Hitomi hissed and covered herself up. Yukari had a smug look plastered on her face.  
  
"Better get goin'." Yukari giggled and watched Hitomi remove her pants the rest of the way.  
  
"I know, I know." She walked over to the blocks and laced up her red running shoes and clasped her hand around her pendent that hung from her neck. The gold shimmered and reflected in some nearby bystanders eyes. She placed the necklace inside her shirt and bent over, her feet against the blocks. She looked up and down, up and down, and back up. Everything was in place.  
  
"Go for it Hitomi!" Yukari called over from a close patch of grass. Amano stood next to her, a towel around his neck and a water bottle in his hand. She smiled to herself at her friends support and place her hands against the track. It felt hot and pricked her, leaving indentations of the small, red rubber pieces on her hands. I Now is not a time to wimp out. You signed up for track, and this is the only way to make the team, Hitomi./I The girl next to her was a blonde, with her hair pulled back into braids. On Hitomi's left was another girl with black hair that was hung loose in a ponytail.   
  
"Ready...get set...GO." Hitomi pushed off the blocks and ran. She ran as fast as her long athletic legs could take her. She passed everyone. But something caught her eye. The world stopped as Hitomi looked to her left. By the tree. A boy, about her age.   
  
Hitomi found herself standing still. The people around her disappeared, and the once lively setting was now gray. And black. And white. The clouds stopped moving, the birds stopped singing, and in short, the world stopped. It stopped because she looked to the left at the boy.  
  
The boy was alone and leaned against the tree. His black, or what Hitomi thought because she really couldn't tell color now that there was none, bangs hung over his eyes. His eyes were closed from what she could tell. As she approached, he looked up. His shirt was a tank-top, but baggy enough to be a male's sort of clothing. The front part of the shirt, right below his chin, dipped in and out, creased and met the string that held the top part together. His pants were tight, and light from her point of view. It creased at his mid section and at the bottom tucked into his large, dark boots. Hitomi noticed the belt, and followed it to meet a hilt, and a sword. I A sword? Here? Nonsense. /I His eyes opened, and Hitomi felt herself absorbed in them. They sparkled, and were the only thing that had color. A lovely, deep, brownish red, that reminded Hitomi of a rich wine. She felt the world tumble beneath her. Everything became blurred. I Is this real? Or another dream? I can't have fallen asleep on the track..  
  
.Could I? /I  
  
Feeling much like Alice tumbling into Wonderland, Hitomi stretched out her hand as she fell into the deep blackness. The darkness swallowed her. I The earth is swallowing me agai-/I Before she could finish the thought, A pair of white wings floated down at her. A boy showed that the wings belonged to him. "An angel. An angel is going to save me. An angel is floating to me. Me."  
  
The angel was the boy from above with the rich colored eyes. "Who....."  
  
[Scene IV]  
  
The locker room is damp but warm. Some girls are finishing up changing and shoving stuff into their duffle bags, making useless chit-chat. They are done and walk into an office that's attached to the locker room. Yukari leans against the desk, her butt resting on the edge. She looks at the records of the times and makes her final adjustments. The light wanders around, and Yukari has her back to the window. She can feel the heat radiate against her and she sighs. I Hitomi went to the nurse after she fainted..Did Amano check up on her yet? /I She thought to herself.  
  
"I'm sooo thirsty!" One of the runners declares. She is standing not to far from Yukari with the other girls.  
  
"Wanna go somewhere?" Another one questions. They nod and turn to Yukari.  
  
"Yukari, are you gonna stop for some tea with us?" A third one chimes in. Yukari shakes her head.  
  
"I have to finish editing these records." She explains. "I'll probably just go home with Hitomi."  
  
"You shouldn't bother them." The first girl giggles. Yukari knew who they were talking about and became a bit jealous of her best friend.  
  
"Really. You shouldn't." The second giggles with her and pats her stomach as it growls. Yukari jumps up and smiles wickedly.  
  
"It's okay. I'll bother them." She gives a half-hearted chuckle. The other girls join her and giggle.  
  
"You're, like, so mean Yukari!" says the third track runner. Yukari winks at her and smiles.  
  
"Alright, let's go."   
  
"Bye, Yukari."  
  
"Seeya." They head out the office and Yukari calls after them.  
  
"Good practice everyone!" She yells and sits back into her resting position, gazing down thoughtfully at the dust that was mustered in the sunlight. She looks sadly down at her records and the pencil that sits upon them. I Amano.../I  
  
b At the Nurses /b   
  
Hitomi lays in a bed. The afternoon light shimmers at the bottom of her bed. She slowly opens her eyes, those green eyes, and they adjust to the light. At first the picture is fuzzy, and her eyes adjust on the boy over her. Amano. She blushes, sits up, and pulls the covers over top of her.  
  
"Captain Amano!" Hitomi says, half confused, half shocked. Her cheeks reddened even more as he put up his hands and gestured for her to lie down.  
  
"You'd better get some rest, Hitomi." Amano explains. She nods, but doesn't comply. Instead she sits up as he sits on the edge of her bed.  
  
"Thank you." Hitomi tells him. I What am I thanking him for? Oh, being polite..right. /I she thinks. He gazes at her.   
  
"It was fortunate that you didn't get hurt." He comments. Hitomi somewhat smiles at his comment.  
  
"Right.."   
  
"Your forms getting better, Kanzaki. I can tell you've been practicing since Junior High." Amano compliments. Hitomi scratches the back of her neck, feeling the sweat from being nervous.  
  
"Not really." She contridicts, being modest perhaps. "I still can't beat thirteen seconds. I wish I was as good of a runner as you, Amano."  
  
It's his turn to blush, ever so slightly, and gives his opinion. "It's the way you come off the blocks. Take courage, and step forward as far as you can go. Give it all you got."  
  
"All I got?" Hitomi asks. She looks down. He notices her pendent as it glints in the sun.  
  
"Hey, that's a really nice pendent." Amano smiles. She takes it off and clasps it in her hand.  
  
"Oh this? It's my good luck charm. My grandmother gave it to me. It's really quite interesting," She holds it from the top so it hangs down, "because when you swing it, it acts as a pendulum. Always in perfect sync. Never speeding up or slowing down."  
  
"Wow. Let me try." She hands it to him and he holds it as she did. He starts to swing it.  
  
"One..." Hitomi starts the count.  
  
"Two..Three..Four..Five..Six...Seven." Amano continues the count, looking at the overhead clock above the door. She watches him.  
  
"Eight..nine..ten...eleven..twelve..thirteen..fourteen.." They count together now, both looking at the clock.  
  
"Fifteen. Sixteen..Seventeen.." Hitomi is alone. Amano stops swinging and leans in very close to her, pendent in hand.  
  
"Kanzaki..to tell you the truth..I.." He starts. She is blushing and stares directly into his brown eyes. I Amano../I  
  
"I..." He falters for a moment. The door slides open and Yukari stands in the doorway.  
  
"Hitomi..your bag.." She stops as soon as she sees them. Hitomi's bag is around Yukari, and Hitomi can't bring herself to words. Yukari is in shock as Amano just stares at her, in an odd manner. Hitomi feels like her world toppled over.  
  
[Scene V]  
  
"Yukari! Hey Yukari, wait up, will you?" Hitomi chases Yukari, who seems to be in a fit, down the sidewalk of a small street. The heavy smell of a nearby café is in the air, and trees align the sidewalk. "C'mon Yukari. Talk to me."  
  
"Strawberry cake at Yugetsudo... Kamakuraya's cheesecake...Shonan Honpo's pancakes.. Jerrat's Classic Peppermint Ice cream, and one desert everyday." Yukari stops and nods her head in approval. "That'll be enough to forgive you."   
  
"I didn't pass out on purpose you know." Hitomi frowns at her friends large appetite and shifts her weigh so that the bag doesn't strain her shoulder. Yukari laughs and places a finger on her chin.   
  
"I wonder." She starts. Hitomi is pretty sure she's going to say something rude or ignorant. "If something wouldn't have happened if I hadn't shown up."  
  
"Knock it off." Hitomi mutters. Her eyes become soft as Yukari walks next to her. The sun is now a red orb, and sits behind some of Japans small buildings. The sky is set on fire with variation of pinks, purples, reds, oranges, and yellows. The clouds remind Hitomi of something from a movie set as the gently drift east. Hitomi can see a few leaves twirl in the wind and pass her and Yukari. They stop right under a bridge. The roads are empty at this time of day. No cars, no people. Yukari and Hitomi were utterly alone.  
  
"Hitomi ...do you ever think you and Amano..would. "Yukari pauses and closes her eyes. She breaths it, but it sounds like a shaky breath. The wind catches a part of Yukari's brown locks and tosses it about. Hitomi stares at her friend.   
  
Yukari's eyes are soft and warm, like a soft fire in winter. They're a beautiful shade of brown. Hitomi thought that they reminded her of a mud puddle and that if Yukari should cry, it would rain and the puddles would splash. Hitomi has never seen Yukari cry, or upset really. I She is really quite a strong person../I Hitomi thinks. Her friend almost smirks, but it's a sad smirk.   
  
"What's wrong, Yukari?" Hitomi places a hand thoughtfully on the other girl's shoulder. Yukari turns away. Hitomi thought something was wrong. "Yukari?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Hitomi." Yukari says after a long pause. The green-eyed girl arches an eyebrow.   
  
"What for, Yukari?" Hitomi can feel a lump in her throat. She's nervous. It was like she was breathing through a straw. The way Yukari looked at Hitomi. With sad, sad eyes. It made Hitomi want to cry. But she couldn't. All she could do was stand there and watch her friend wrap her arms around her.   
  
"I heard some upper classmen talking. They say that Amano's leaving the country." Yukari starts to say. Hitomi tenses at her touch and bites her lower lip. "His dad got a job in England or something."  
  
iAmano's leaving? He's going away? But..but he can't. No. Not now./I Hitomi feels her knees turn to jelly. An ocean crashes in her stomach and she felt like if she would open her mouth, thousands of butterflies would come out.  
  
"He won't even be at the last track meet. Oh Hitomi, I'm so sorry. I know how you feel for him, and I think you should just tell him." Hitomi hears Yukari's voice, muffled and soft. "Just tell him before it's to late. You'll regret it, Hitomi, if you don't."  
  
"Alright." She replies through a weak voice. Her throat is dry, and no butterflies came out. She feels like she's swallowed some cotton. Yukari pulls away and gives her friend a small, reassuring smile before she darts in one direction, waving. "Bye..."  
  
It was the morning of the day Amano was set to leave. Hitomi was sitting on her bed, the sunlight resting at her feet, like a cat that had to much nip, and the dust dancing and weaving in and out of its beam. She looked out towards the small houses, and the roads, and the trees that gracefully aged. The town itself was ageless, but its people were not. She knew this, and in a fruitless effort had tried to stop time. Time would never stop, except in pictures.  
  
Her gaze shifted from the outer world to hers. The colors blurred to form the picture on her desk. Hitomi had taken no notice to it, except for if it was not the fact Amano's face lingered there with her and Yukari. Hitomi had found herself looking at the camera when the picture had been taken, but Yukari's eyes sought out Amano. Hitomi had never taken notice to it, until now. A pang in her heart told her that Yukari loved Amano, but Hitomi listened to her head and assumed Yukari just glanced over past him.  
  
"Don't be foolish." Hitomi muttered, as she laid back against her soft blue comforter and sighed. "A glitch. She just glanced over."  
  
Hitomi muttered and walked to her closet, speaking only words she could hear. Maybe she said nothing, or maybe she was saying things that are not important. Slipping on her running gear, she stepped out into the afternoon light. Amano was waiting for her. Or she knew secretly, that he would be there.   
  
Sprinting past the houses and endless telephone poles, the mid-afternoon sky was on fire with the colors of the sun. Hitomi knew Amano stood at the track, gazing outward and thinking of fond memories he had there. The day he won the school championship and won a scholar to a good school. The day he met Hitomi as a 7th grader. After classes practice. Before school jogging. The little things that consumed his time. Had he treasured them, as she treasured her moments on the track?  
  
Some people spend their time drawing, some writing, some dreaming, and some living. But they were the minority that ran. They ran, and ran, and ran. They ran in anything, if the weather permitted. Why? Because, they wanted to go places. They wanted their legs to take their dreams and make them realities. And this was true. Hitomi runs. Amano runs. Yukari keeps track. Track of the track records.   
  
Hitomi ran now. She let her legs carry her body without thought. Her heart beat in rhythm, and pretty soon, at a stead pace, she was at the track. And there he stood.  
  
Maybe it was fate that led them there. Or maybe something above pushed them towards each other. I Don't wimp out now, Kanzaki. /I Hitomi gathered the courage to walk, actually WALK towards him. She felt butterflies soar within her. She was sure sweat was running down her face as she held out her hand, in a fist.  
  
"Captain Amano." She stated. He acknowledged her and she continued, a bit more confident than before. "If I can run the 100 meter dash, in 13 seconds..."  
  
"Hm?" He half questioned. She turned a deep shade of red and bowed.  
  
"Will you give me my very first kiss?" She blurted. The silence came, and Hitomi couldn't find it in her heart to look at him. In her hand, the pendent dangled. The pendent that kept perfect time. 13 swings for 13 seconds. He smirked, nodded, and took the pendent from her hand.   
  
Her head shot up and looked at him. "Eh?"  
  
"I'd be honored, Kanzaki." He told her. She grinned.  
  
"Thank you." She smiled and felt grateful, relieved and a bit scared. "Thank you so much, Amano."  
  
b Escaflowne /b  
  
Sometimes, she didn't know what to say. Other times, she said too much. Right now, her words stopped at her mouth, died, and she swallowed them back down, to where they were remixed and jumbled about. Yukari was always good with words. She had a knack for just yapping on and on about today's gossip, or yesterdays fashion. Hitomi, however, fell silent when it came to saying important things.   
  
Standing in front of the mirror, Hitomi checked herself out once more. She had long slender legs that were shapely, but as far as Hitomi was concerned, beauty was skin deep. She was very keen to noticing a wrinkle in her shirt, but when it came to her body, Hitomi felt there was no need to look good. I We are all made differently, but perhaps we are all the same, and the fact that makes us different is the fact we choose to be,/I she thought to herself. Nodding in approval, she set off towards the track.  
  
As she walked towards her school, and small chill sent shivers down her back. It seemed that white faces appeared on the walls, where the shadows didn't dare to dance. Feeling a bit scared, Hitomi made a brisk pace. The moon was high, and brightly colored a blue white hue, with dimples that gave it charm. The stars twinkled and gleamed, sparkled and shone down; illuminating the small Japanese streets. The only sounds Hitomi observed was her short, quick breaths and thuds of her own heartbeat mixed with her steps. The warm air was pleasant, but there was an ominous chill in the air.   
  
She felt like she was being watched, as she made her way. Her hair bobbed in the wind, and faintly, (or so she though) she heard whispers and echoes of "Help" and "No more", carried and modified to scare her. I Don't be silly, Hitomi, /I she whispered to herself. The leaves rattled and twirled. One spiraled down at her, and she saw a sad face morphed in the brownish leaves. "How sad...the leaf looks alone."  
  
Hitomi squatted in front of the oak tree, and realized she was right in front of her grand school, that sat by itself away from the houses and stores, streets and playgrounds. She scooped up the leaf in a quick motion, and twirled it around. The face danced, and looked like tears trickling down.  
  
"Please.." The face disappeared as Hitomi dropped the leaf and backed away.  
  
"What-what-..." Hitomi held her hands up in defense. The wind picked up the leaf and carried it down the street, tumbling it with other debris.  
  
"Hitomi!" A masculine voice yelled. She turned and saw Amano, waving at her from afar. She shook her head of her silly, stupid thoughts and jogged towards the track. "You're late."  
  
"I like to make an entrance." She smiled, her eyes shining with the stars and reflecting the moon. She took her pendent and unclasped it from her neck and handed it to him, and walked to one end of the track.  
  
"Ready?" He asked. She nodded, and the lights over the track flickered on. Hitomi's gaze fell to Yukari, standing by one pole, smiling and waving.  
  
"Yukari." Hitomi said under her breath, barely audible to her own ears. Yukari had Hitomis bag around her and sat down on a local bleacher. Hitomi placed her feet on the blocks and got in the 'ready' position, for lack of a better term. Amano had the pendent clasped in his hand.  
  
"Give it all you got. Focus everything.." He chanted her on, silently wanting to just kiss her, maybe Yukari. Hell, any kiss would be good right about now. I Give it your all../I  
  
[Scene VI]  
  
"So, what's that make?" A boy leaned against a tree, in an unknown place, where a blue moon and the other moon hung in the sky. The stars glinted and whispered secrets, winking at each other. He was a cocky teenager, about 15, with short black hair, and a short temper to match it. A sour face usually plastered with him, it was second nature to this boy to be cruel. Put up his defenses, and take it like a man that he was. To him, killing was just like breathing. You have to do, what you got to do. No questions ask. Someone attacks you- you kill them. Someone offends you- you kill them. Someone mocks your family- you kill them. Plain and simple. He balanced his sword on his palm and laughed. "Three in the last village, four before that, and...six was it? Six I believe in the first."  
  
"Prince Van, walking around and killing people like they're your trophies is no way to behave." A tall, large-muscled man moved from the shadows. He was 4 times the size of the teen. His gray hair and mustache proved that he indeed was older, and wiser than the boy. A scar ran parallel to his right eye, across his left; starting from the forehead and ending near the nose. He was a master of the sword. You can tell these sort of things by the way a man carries and presents himself.   
  
"Tch. They deserved it." Van snickered. The swords master felt disgusted with his pupil.   
  
"How so, Lord Van?" The man questioned. A displeased look was in Vans eye, and his one snickering turned to bickering.   
  
"They DARE try to take over my kingdom. They DARE and CHALLENGE me, Balgus," He started, walking and holding himself like he was the best thing since sliced bread. "The child, I do admit, was an accident, and I did try and save her."  
  
"The blonde girl, whom you helped bury, you mean Your Highness?"  
  
"Balgus, you know exactly who I mean." Van lost his patience. "Are we ready yet?"  
  
"Yes, Lord Van. You know what you have to do in order to become king." Balgus walked towards a castle in the clearing of the forest. The leaves rustled as they brushed past some thorn bushes, and a wild rose bush. The flowers glinted and sent an eerie glow to meet Vans eye. He stopped and stared. Balgus too, stopped to see what his Lord was looking at. "My lord?"   
  
"Balgus, I-I'm sorry I snapped at you." He turned and continued on, keeping his head down. His long black locks dropped in front of his eyes, and the shadows played on his face to make it almost seem Van was regretful.   
  
In the clearing, a small town stood between to large mountains. The hill where they were was above the small village, and it led down to two large gates. In the middle of the glorious town, the castle stood and loomed above the houses and shops. It was quiet at this time of night, and only dim lit candles shown in some houses. Torches stood at the gates towers, with faint silhouettes of guards. The two mountains cradled the town, and protected it from the danger that lurked about.  
  
Dragons. The valley of the Dragons town. Also known as Fanalia. The people poor, but humble. The Royal Family- all dead except the son of the mighty king Gaou, and graceful queen Varie, while being the younger brother of the noble Folken. The family name was passed on as Fanel, and it held honor, yet was a meek name. The town was nothing compared to the port Town of Asturia, that lay to the East. Or the temple mosques of Fried. It was a town though. It had a king, and shall continue to live on- day to day- until it perhaps, as many towns do, crumbles.  
  
"Home." Van muttered. His red tank top rustled with the wind, and his locks swayed uneasily. He gripped the side of his sword- the royal sword- and smirked. "Looks like we finally made it back, eh Balgus?"  
  
"It would appear that way, Lord Van. Now for us to get ready for your right of passage." Balgus instructed.   
  
"Dragon-slaying." The boy knew. It had been that way. His brother had failed, and ceased to return almost 10 years ago. He had been thought of dead till this very day. His mother had went out into the forest to find him- but she as well- did not return. Ever since, Van has been alone. He held his head high, and didn't let the hurtful words of the townspeople affect his pride. And Van, as stubborn and hot-headed as he was, had great pride. "I'll go get ready, Balgus. And meet you in the weaponry in a bit."  
  
"Yes, your highness." Balgus tilted his head in respect to the boy-king and walked towards one part of the castle. Van, on the other hand, walked towards a forgotten part of the castle.   
  
In about a half an hours time, both the boy and the man met again in a dark, silent room. The wood was old, but still a soft cedar color. Small lanterns hung from the wooden pillars in the room. On the wall, spears, swords, daggers, crossbows, and other weapons decorated the plain wood planks. Van stood, in armor of green and gold over his red shirt. The breastplate was more of a bronze in this light, and the green sleeves tucked into his golden gauntlets. Van took a crossbow of the wall and snapped it onto his right gauntlet, and a hookshot on his left one. Securing his sword, Van turned back to Balgus and nodded.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready, Lord Van?" Balgus asked, stepping into the light. The black haired boy nodded.  
  
"I am." He responded, looking up at his teacher.  
  
"I'm sure you can kill the dragon, Lord Van. Your brothers disgrace.."  
  
"I WON'T turn my back on the enemy, Balgus." Van turned his head down and emphasized won't. I Folken was a coward....wasn't he? /i  
  
Authors note: Eee. Okay well I'm nowhere near done and stuff, but tell me what you think anyways. Sorta variation. Uhm im almost done this first chapter. Whoo.   
  
Dedicated to: Charles, my lovely boyfriend :D GeminiDragon and Leah- who reviewed with the terrible layout. Hehe. RevieW 


	2. The Dragons Heart I

A.N: It's written in past and present tense. Hehe sorry, can't help it.  
  
  
  
Hitomi let her legs carry her. And they did. They carried her far, and they carried her fast..yet not fast enough. Amano seemed ages away. The faster she seemed to run, the further he got. The pendent swung. Slowly, yet not slowly enough. One, two, three. (Faster) Four, five, six. (FASTER, Hitomi! Faster!)  
  
  
Seven.  
  
A boy charges a dragon.  
  
Eight.  
  
As the boy runs, a blue light emits from the heavens and surronds him. The girls legs get heavier.((whyishesofar?))  
  
Nine.  
  
The boy is confused and swept into the air, all within a seconds time. Blink. There's a second of your life.   
  
Ten.  
  
He's between Earth and his home. The stars swirl. Because a second is just a blink. She's so close .So close. Closer. Almost there...  
  
Eleven.  
  
He's coming down now. It seems a bit to fast for all of it, but he's not ill. He doesn't get motion sickness. He's strong. She runs, panting.   
  
Twelve.  
  
He lands, his eyes full of suprise as a figure runs at him. Or into him.   
  
  
--------------------------------------------Episode Two: The Dragons Heart-----------------------------------------------  
  
[Scene II]  
  
  
It only takes him a second to stop the figure. She clumsily can't stop gravity or force and her body impacts with his. First contact. The force of the push makes her stumble backwards and onto her butt.  
  
  
Thirteen. No kiss. Instead, Hitomi runs into a boy who had descended from above. She fell over with the grace of a descarded toy that a child has tossed aside once its lost its' charm. Her legs intertwine with one another, and her elbows are the only thing that keeps the upper part of her body up. Her gaze shifted upward at him- him! The boy from her, well, dream. Her vision! He scowled at her, causing her to look slightly abashed. He stares at her. Enternity passes by before Amano and Yukari run to help their friend to her feet. A stumble and a stance later, she's up and poised like a cat, staring intently at the prey.  
  
The boy. His green shirt threw her off. She thought of him as more of a red person, rather than green. Green was the color of her eyes. -Her- not -him-. He, who was decorated for battle, and from another world. Two seconds go by. Blink twice. Or breath. Two seconds, but feels like forever.  
  
"You..." Hitomi murmured, her voice two decibles up from a whisper. He took a step back and let his surrondings come into focus. Those lights! Such bright candles. No, candles could never show such magnifigence. What magic was this? What trickery was these demons playing at? The ground- a substance that he's never felt before. Hard, but bouncy. What was this place? Damn. Who were these people? They didn't look like royalty- or a match for him.  
  
"Hitomi! Are you okay?" Yukari examined her friend. She looked alright, apart from her gawking at this boy. This boy who had fallen from the sky- enveloped in a strange, bluish light, who now stood before them. He was no angel. Angels were beautiful, and didn't scowl or scorn at humans. No, no. This boy was human. Just. Like. Them.  
  
"Who are -you-?" Amano sneered, his voice dripping with venom for harming his Hitomi. The conversation bounced back between three different topics. Hitomi let her eyes linger on the long, silver blade that rested in his hand. That same blade to capture the light and slice through her thoughts.   
  
"What demonry is going on here? Where am I?" The boy demanded, his face contorting into a fierce smirk. Hitomi thought he would be more attractive if he wasn't so grim. She took a step foward and grapsed her necklace in both hands, her legs bending in to support her as she leans in closer to him. Yukari, scared, gripped one of her arms and retreats behind her.  
  
"Hey, listen. We're not from your world." The brown-haired girl explains. He turns his attention to her, making her cower before him. Before his smarmy comments- his quick wit (and even quicker temper). Before his brown, red, ohgodthey'resobeautiful eyes, that seek answers only she seems to know. But his mouth..it's plastered on his face- a dark, morbid scowl that sent shivers up your back. But she didn't look at his mouth- but instead- his eyes. Soulful eyes. Look at me eyes that demanded your attention. His soft, black hair that fell in front of his eyes. His face falters for a second, and only a second. Only for her. She stared at him like no other had before. Courage to talk back. Green, gorgeous, eyes. Soft, hair. Who?   
  
"Hitomi..do you know what he's talking about?" Yukari mutters, only for Hitomi's ears. She was scared of him, that much was sure. Yukaris legs tremble, and it's hard for her to stand. Her friends bag swung caresly over her shoulder. It weighs her down. Hitomi makes a movement with her hand to silence Yukari. So silence is pressed on Yukaris lips.  
  
"And just who are YOU?" Amano speaks up. He demands that the boy answer him with that sort of tone. The sulky warrior turns his attention back to this..this... peon. Insolent fool. Moron. Carries himself like royalty, but he's just trash. Van, as we the audience know him as, turns his nose up in the air (as royalty pride themselves on their names).  
  
"Van. Of Fanalia." Though it's no directed at Amano, who asked his attention. ..Fanalia..? That's not a place. That sounds made up, Hitomi thought. "It's coming."  
  
"What's coming?" Hitomi takes a deep breath in, and summons to courage to ask. He crouches slightly, and brings the sword in front of him- gripping it with two hands. Don't loose your grip, Van. Don't show fear- dragons smell fear..dragon? Two deep breaths. He grips the sword, and it gives a soft squeak as leather meets leather.  
  
"The dragon." Van said. It wasn't much of a whisper, as his voice was a bit to loud. Her, Hitomi, eyes flash with fear, and than uncertainty. Amano reads her mind.  
  
"There aren't any dragons." He states (matter-of-factly might I add). Van shoots daggers at him with those I-want-to-drown-in-your-eyes eyes, and Amanos confidence falters. No such thing as dragons. Mental!  
  
"I suggest you get out of here." Van directs at them, "Unless of course you want to be eaten by a dragon."  
  
"Hitomi?" Yukari places a hand on her back. Hitomi clamps a hand over her mouth and hunches over. She feels as if she has to vomit. Her stomach clenches and unclenches, tightens, then throbs. Oh god, oh god. I'm going to be sick. Oh god, what's this feeling? It dangles in her throat and threatens to come out. Her eyes shake with sickness, and her knees now touch in her stance. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know but I feel really, really sick." The girl replies through clenched teeth. The sky darkened. No clouds. The stars run away, and the blackness takes hold of them. Theres a crash in the distance. Funny, the weather didn't call for rain. Another clash. Van licks his teeth, feeling the smoothness and sharpness of the bone, and raises his hand.  
  
"Go! Now!" He yells. No use getting more people killed tonight. -Especially her, right Van? Right?- Oh shut up, coincess. A mist drags through the forest on the other side of the stadiums gate. -Nervous, Fanalia?- Shut it. This mist isn't normal. It's like electricity. They can see the sharp pricks of lightning scatter through it. It turns blue.  
  
"Not again!" Never heed warnings, do you teenagers? Amano staggers back, placing a protective arm in front of Yukari and Hitomi. They can't help but stare. It's like a train accident. You know something horrible has happened, but you're so drawn to it you stare. Fixated. One of them: Eyes tremble. The other: Scared to death. The last: Intriguid, yet sick. So very sick. This isn't right. Something isn't right.   
  
Boom.  
  
A yell. A scream. It echos in your ears and sounds like a thousand cats dying, meowing in sync. Throbbing. If death had sound, this -was it even a scream?- would sound like it. It paralyzes you with fear, and you just stand there, expecting death. Waiting for it to scream again.  
  
Thrash.  
  
Red eyes glow. No, yellow eyes. Gleaming, reptile eyes. If you weren't paralyzed before, you are now. It blinked. Take note- only the lower eyelid moves up. Through the mist, it watches. Hitomi takes a glance at Van, who grips his sword. -Is he a demon? Where did he come from? Why isn't he afraid?-  
  
Thrashing again.  
  
A long head appears as lightning charges through the air. (Ohgodohgodohgodohgoddontletmedieohgodohgod). One thought on the three students minds- Why won't their legs work? It takes a step. It's like a huge lizard, but isn't that what all dragons are? The scales are grayish green, and you can see the roughness to them.  
  
"GO. NOW." Van yells again. Right. C'mon legs. They start to run, attracting the dragons attention. Their figures in its..red (or was it yellow) eyes. In anger, its claws dig into the track while its tail thrashes about. "Hey! You're fighting me remember?"  
  
So brave. So damn brave. Amano hates heroes. It makes him look bad. Van thrusted his arms out, like a hug- or a display. For an instant, the dragon (lets call him "fluffy"..What? I was just kidding), turned its attention back to the raven-haired hero. "Well, you're hungry aren'tya? Well feast on this!!!" One thought: let it work, let it work..for all the stars by Gaea- LET IT WORK. So maybe for a minute, the dragon thinks, 'lemme fry this sucka and chase after the others', and spits fire at Van. Its hot, and nearly melts his sheild, which seemed to appear from that metal thing attached to his arm. (Walmart: $20) Van dodges out of the way, tucked, rolled and jumps back up. Van went for another attack. Fear makes you mental, and right now, you'd be insane.  
  
  
It's not interested the second time. Instead, it staggered towards the three tasty little morsals that are running away. Hop, skip, hop, skip.   
  
They ran. Yukari, being the slowest and least athletic of the three, fell over. "Damn!" The other two run back to her. Amano crouched and inspected the injury.  
  
"Looks like it's twisted. Here, get on my back." He turns his back, and she dangled her arms around his neck. He used his hands to support her, and Hitomi took the bag. They ran faster now, to make up for lost time. Across the street is a path through a semi-thick forest. Hitomi is in the lead, Amano at her heels. Her arm swung back and forth, eyes full of fear, and pupils large. So dark. Where do these steps lead? At the end of the path is a couple of buildings, and even more steps up the hill. They stop to take a breath. "We'll be safe here."  
  
"I hope so." Yukari mutters, a voice not her own creeps out of her throat. However, they don't know of a Van who stabs the dragon with a hook, and now is dangling from the side of it- bouncing down the thin corridor in the forest. It screams, catching their attention.   
  
  
  
Death. He's going to die.  
  
  
  
(A/n: I didn't feel like writing anymore at the moment..maybe get back to HP, but hey I decided "lets give this out as of right now", and you know probably get back into the groove in a couple of days. Taking me forever, isn't it? Haven't even finished all of the chapters, but more to read the merrier, ne? Go and tell your friends. I like reviews. Never really gotten 'em before. )  
  
  
Dedicated to: Love Witch, Kiya, and Paige Moonsword.   
  
  
Next Chapter:   
  
Hey, can't leave it to Van to handle a freaking Dragon, now can we? Gotta let Hitomi in on the action and swept up into the sky.  
  
Next episode meet Merle, her character redone by the one and only..well. me. :D 


	3. The Dragons Heart II

((A/n: Wow. I didn't expect so many reviews. Hell, I'd be happy with 20 for the whole fic. Right now as I'm typing I have about 9. Oh, I decided to put dedications at the beginning. Woot. I changed some parts around. I don't think you really care.))  
  
Dedicated to: Discord, Merry,Rina, Random Person A, SabineballZ, and Cev. You guys rock.  
  
  
(Woot for the Sims online)  
  
  
I remember when I was younger, but not so young that I only have certain memories, I used to always believe there was a dragon or something living in my closet. Of course, I was young and had a huge imagination, and not only that- I immersed myself in fantasy and still do. Hitomi, the obvious main character, is living that fantasy. Her eyes are wide with fear and her neck craned at the boy who had attached himself to a dragon. Her lip trembles in fear for his life, as well as her own. She doesn't seem to realize that her arms are stretched out behind her and her long fingers pointing outward. Oblivious to the clanking of a sword, and the swishing of a tail. Her eyes aren't fixated on anything. Well one thing. The boy. He was so determind..so...set on his goal. -What was his goal again?-  
  
But this was no fantasy- this was Hell. The dragon was larger than any elephant, any bus, any tractor trailer. It was the biggest lizzard you would ever set your eyes on. Its tounge, a pinkish shade, flips out of its jaws, like a snake hissing at its attacker. So many teeth. Such white, large, fearsome teeth. Paralyzed with fear- all Hitomi, Yukari, and Amano can do is stare. It's almost like a dance. Van, as graceful and as fluid as a river would charge, and the dragon would parry. The clearing was enough space to be their dancefloor, and the blackness- a canopy over them. One two three, one two three. Did his feet ever touch the ground? Sparks would emit as scale met steel.  
  
"Damn...this sword just won't cut through those scales!" Van hisses through clenched teeth. It pissed him off that a d.r.a.g.o.n could be such a pain in his..well, you know. He needed to cut the underbelly. A softspot, if you will. The dragons Alchelis heel. The warrior jumps out of the way as the dragon thrashes its long, wild tail at him. Landing gracefully, Van turned to charge again, but its tail came back and hit him. Full force. In the stomach.  
  
Imagine for a moment, if you will, that you are tired, and out of breath, and carrying a heavy object in one hand. Now, you're walking along and suddenly some random person comes up with a baseball bat, or two. Now this person is big and strong and decides it would be fun to hit you in the stomach. With all of his stregnth. Now you can imagine what it felt for Van.  
  
At first, it knocked the wind out of him and sent him sprawling on the grass at the edge of the clearing. His stomach throbbed in pain from the impact, but he managed to keep coincessness. With the rest of his stregnth, Van propped himself up with his hands, and faces the ground..and throws up blood. It tastest like copper. Fluid, hot copper, that lingered in his mouth. He didn't like that taste. Taking his right arm, the arm that lacked the armor, and wipes the blood from his mouth. It stains, of course. But that is trivial to him (well, as of right now). "You won't get rid of me that easily. I'm stronger than you think." Van, (oh god he's so strong), mutters, in a deadly sort of tone. He clambered to his feet, standing almost awkwardly- sword dangling in his hand. And. He. Smirks.  
  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------(Episode Three: The Dragons Heart II)-------------------------------------------------------  
  
[Scene II]  
"Hitomi? Hitomi- what's wrong?" Yukari challenges. Amano is staring at this, this..demon! This hellbound child that has such a cocky manner and speaks rudely to ladies. He almost wants to smirk, but fights this temptation.  
  
"Do you think he'll be alright?" The older boy asks. In the moonlight, his hair turns from a soft brown to black, as Yukaris did. Hitomi had a halo of light around the crown of her head, making her almost look angelic. An angel before a devil. The thought is almost amusing. Then it strikes her. Hitomi can see it, but noone else sees it. A woman, who much resembled Van in her opinion, gracefully sitting in the crook of the dragons neck. What the hell? Hitomi looked around for reassurance that she was not crazy, but only saw herself, Van, the dragon, and this lunatic of a woman. Birds of a feather flock together.  
  
"Hitomi. Above." She whispers. Her voice is like silk, and glides to listening ears. Hitomi imagines the dragons tail peircing Van. Blood scatters in all directions, as the sound of bones crunching is to much to bear. So much red. So much blood. Is it possible for one person to have so much blood? She blinks, and the scene dissapears. The woman dissapears. The world is right again.  
  
"No...no..he's going to.." Hitomi stammers, her voice quivering at what she about to declare. What she is about to inform her friends of. It's almost amusing- she wanted a kiss but got a dragon. This was the type of moment that you subcoincessly feel coming.   
  
"Hitomi?" Yukari ponders, concerned. Both brunnettes stare at Hitomi, eyes full of curiosity. Wondering, how can she know what his fate is? How can she be certain? Why is she worried..and by god damnit, why aren't their legs working?!  
  
"He's going to die." Hitomi murmers. Yukari gasps, and Amano takes a step back. Mustering courage within herself, the girl takes a step foward and starts down the stairs. "I have to go! I have to warn him."  
  
"Wait, Hitomi!" Amano yells. She doesn't comply, but lets her legs carry her. Carry her to the scene before her very pupils. He dances with the dragon, and she watches as its front legs crouch and back legs stretch. (Almost like its going to pounce.) But its tail curls over above the head, and is perpindicular to Van. At any given time, the tail will strike while Van is distracted with the head. Have.To.Warn. She stops, only meters before the lizzard and the boy with rich eyes. Who knew devils could have such beautiful eyes? Her arm shoots up and points at the tail. "Watch out from above!!!!"  
  
"Huh?" Van looks up as the tail comes down. She couldn't watch, so she covers her eyes with her hands. Ohgod,ohgod. Let me have been on time. She was. He jumps to the side, one leg tucked under the other, as the tail slices his green shirt and armor off, stips of cloth shattering like glass. And there he stood. In red. Like she thought he be. He donned the same tanktop as in her vision. -So it was him-. As graceful as a cat, and as agile as one, he jumps up over the tail, and slices his sword through the underbelly of the beast. As sword meets skin, blue blood splatters on him. It sizzles and splashes, all over the woods and bushes. A puddle forms under the beast as Van finishes his task. The dragon was dead. "Gotchya."  
  
Two steps foward. It was on its side, blood gathered all around it. The head contorted and twisted in an uncomforatble position (well, not anymore). But his job is not done. No, not yet. He took a couple of steps to the chest of the beast that was an off color, and drew up his sword. One vertical cut, one horizontal cut. The sound is pleasing, in a gross sense, like slurping. It sounds like when you cut through a banana, and that's what it feels like. A small, red glow emmits from the center of the X cut. Van took his sword and wedged the red object from the chest, and prys it out. He takes it in his left hand, sword in right. The thing is small, and red, and looks like its made of a crystal. It has several cuts in it, and to Hitomi, looked like a red rose. A red rose from the chest of the beast. The heart of the beast.  
  
As it is removed, the blue blood that the boy is bathed in evaporates in a smokey haze. All the blood dissapeared in the same fashion. The skin deteriorates and the bones crumble to dust. The dragon was dead and gone, and there was not a trace of evidence that it was even there at all. Now that the danger was over, Hitomi took a couple of steps foward, still cautious. Her hands are firmly clasped together. The stars come back a little, but there's still an eerie presence in the air that makes her hair stand on end. Her poise is still childish, and she shifts her weight in her shoes.   
  
"Uhm..excuse me?" She interrupts his silent glory. He scoffs and turns in her direction, eyeing her with suspicion. -Oh brother, what does SHE want? A reward? What a little mouse! Women, you give them an inch, they take a mile-, Van thought harshly, examining her. She blinks and continues to ask, "Uhm..are you..okay?"  
  
"Look." He states sharply, nose pointed arrogantly in the air. Don't let her steal your thunder, Fanel. "I don't need any woman to worry over me. I suppose you want a reward. Well..well fine! Come to my castle. Just don't get cocky. I'm sorry I got you and your friends involved in my dragon-slaying."  
  
"What is your problem?!" She screams at him, bringing her hand to hit his face in a slap. It stings. Second contact. Hitomi is fuming. -Who does he think he is?!- She balls up her hand into two fists. "Are you always this..pigheaded? You know, I should have LET that stupid dragon eat you!!" She sobs into her hand. "I..I was just worried. That's all."  
  
"Eh?" Vans expression softens just a little. -How dare she slap me!! How dare she treat me in such a manner. How..how..odd.- He looks down as the dragons heart pulses in his hand. The red glow vibrates and shines brighter. In Amanos hand, Hitomis pendent pulses as well. Standing together, Van and Hitomi are surronded in that same blue column Van had once been. "The energist!?"  
  
"Hitomi..???" Yukari stands on her own two feet, watching her friend. Amano ran down the steps, towards her. She slowly is lifted in the air.  
  
"What's going on?" Hitomi asks, the lower part of her body raising abover her head. Awkwardly, she tries to swim against the force of gravity back to the safety of the Earth. She reaches out her hand as the blue enigma absorbs and pulls at her. "Help me, Amano!!!"  
  
"Kanzaki!" Amano yelled, reaching out his hand. Her pendent floats out of his and she grabs it, clasping it to her chest. She's to high. I can't reach. Oh no. That scared look returns to her eyes. Hopeful, scared, lovely green orbs. Glistening green. "Kanzaki!!!"  
  
"Amano!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hitomi screams as the sky swallows her and that strange boy up. It's warm, and swirls around her. She can't keep her eyes open. The blue dissapears into a thousand glistening peices, and Amano stands alone- hand outstretched.  
  
  
"Kanzaki!!!!!!!!!"  
  
  
"Hitomi!!!!" Yukari yells at the sky, hands clasped in a hopeful position. The stars are fully out, and the world was at peace.  
  
  
But they were gone. The sky had eaten them through a blue straw, and now all that was left were memories.  
  
"They're gone..." he whispers, amazed and worried.  
  
  
[Scene III] ( I think I'm up to 12 reviews. Creeeepy)  
  
  
"Ohh my head.." Hitomi groaned and held her head in her right hand. Her long fingers easily glide through her golden cinnamon tresses as she massages her head. She sat up, amazing alive- much to her delight. She leaned her weight on her left arm, which was her only support at the moment, as her legs were sprawled out. The ground is moist and cold, and sticks to her sweaty palms. Insects buzz around her head, and apparently are in the field laid at her feet. A small shiver runs up her spine, as Hitomi hated insects and the dirty feeling they gave her. She always had a fear one would fly into her mouth, and they tickled her ear when they buzzed. The confused girl arched her head to the sky, and saw the moon. And..the Earth?! "Where am I?"  
  
  
"By the looks of these stars, it looks like Gaea." Van explained, not really so to her, but to himself- obviously pleased. He stood, arms lazily by his side and his sword replacing the empty hilt with a full one by his side.The moonlight accented his lean figure, and his soft face hardened again as he realized Hitomi was..well, alive. He crossed his arms in front of him and tilted his head up. His gaze shifted to the blue moon in the sky- the Earth. "Yes, this is definatley Gaea. We must be near the village of Arzaas."  
  
"A-Arzaas?" Hitomi asked with a quivered voice, but her words fell on deaf ears. She was cold, scared and LOST. All hope seemed to be gone, stuck here with a foreign boy on a foreign planet. At least she had her teal and purple athletes bag with her, which carried all the things a woman would need. Or at least a teenage girl. A large oak tree lumbered over her- she used its branches to help her up. "What's going on here?"  
  
"Huh?" Van, the male warrior, was not concered with this woman because a pair of pale, yellow eyes hovered in the feild before him. The whole world seemed to shake as grumbles and snarls errupted from those eyes' owners and many other pairs similiar to it. They lingered in the air-in the darkness, ready to strike the two suspecting teenagers. Sevaral howls and sniffles rippled through the air, and Hitomi backed her way into the trunk of the tree, her hand gripping its rough bark. One pair of eyes slowly made its way to its meal, and the figure that held those eyes came into focus. It was a beast- no a man, or was it a beast? His eyes no longer yellow, but a deep blood reddish brown, and hunger filled them as it eyed up Hitomi. It stood on two legs like a man, but its body was covered in a deep gray-brown fur. It looked like a dog with clothing on. A very mean and hungry dog at that."Looks like we have company."  
  
"Prince Van?" The beast stopped and it SPOKE. Looks like things weren't all they appeared to be. Van dropped his guard, and Ruhm was introduced to Hitomi. Ruhm the beast man.  
  
  
  
"So you went to the Mystic Moon? And your brought back this girl?" Ruhm asked, his claw-hands gripping the reins firmly. Apparently, Van was a friend of this ramshackled country and this man-beast Ruhm was one of its locals. Creepy. Ruhm had offered Van and Hitomi a lift back to- (oh what was that place)? Well, this country, and Van had agreed. Hitomi didn't really have much of choice, as she had to follow Van if she ever wanted to get home (or so her hunch said). The two were loaded onto a large wooden traders cart, with two bigger beasts that seemed to symbolize horses pulling it. The beast man seemed to have been on his way there, and it was lucky for Van he should run into them -out here in Arzaas-. The cart creeked along on a dark dirt trail between a mountain crevass. The moon hung in the sky, with the Earth in the background. Such a lonely scene.  
  
Hitomi folded her hands in her lap, shifting her weight in effort to try and get comforatble on the cargo. Van leaned on his fist, and let out a long sigh- making his deep black locks sway. His other arm lazily drapped on his knee, and his other leg propped up on some cargo. She glanced down, somehow ashamed, and bit her lower lip. "Yeah, well..she seems to have followed me home."  
  
"Huh. Well isn't that something. So this girl IS one of the Moons inhabitants?" Ruhm reaffirmed, his voice full of wisdom and trust. It remind Hitomi of her school teacher, and her thoughts briefly lingered on that science test she had taken only hours ago. Did she pass? She tilted her head to the sky, in a vain effort to see her home. The Earth was illuminating, and it seemed to appear blue. She faintly made out the large island of Japan, facing away from the sun. -So this is what astronauts see. It's breath-taking.- "Hmm..now that you mention it, the moon does seem brighter lately. And there IS something foul in the air."  
  
"You don't say." It was more of a statement than a question, but Ruhm nodded anyway. Two other beasts walked along side of the carts, carrying torches for light, and other carts were spaced inbetween their own. An awkward silence took over their words, and for once- Hitomi was at a loss for any words in her thoughts. Those thoughts that used to plague her very soul- her very mind everyday. She no longer had the company of her friends, and her thoughts had abandoned her. All she had left was curiousity, and a feeling of fear.  
  
  
Hitomi felt utterly alone.   
  
  
Utterly, totally alone.   
  
  
[Scene IV]  
  
The daylight hurt her eyes. Slowly, she opened them to make sure that this was reality, and not some crazy dream she had. It wasn't. Unless of course she was still asleep, but she didn't feel like this was a dream. This was to real- it felt to real- to be a dream. Dreams were those type of things you had after you ate to much chocolate before you went to bed and your subcoincess creates vivid images to coincide with your inner thoughts.   
  
Hitomi had never had thoughts of a distant land in the sky with a boy who had a murderous look in his eye. No thoughts of beast men that ate human flesh. No thoughts of a place where, it seemed, fantasy was reality- and she was caught up in a whirlwind of adventure. She sighed, and rubbed that crust you always get out of her eyes.   
  
"So it wasn't a dream..." She muttered, to noone in particular. Her back was stiff and sore after an uncomforatble sleep on this cargo. Stretching, she took in her surrondings. The cart was still moving, at a steady pace, and its driver didn't even seemed tired at all- even after driving all night! Silently impressed, Hitomi took a look over his shoulder. They were at the edge of a forest, and before her stood a large city- a grand city- cradled by various mountains. It seemed they were at top of a hill, and from the looks of things the town was protected by a large wall- sealing it in on all sides.   
  
"Home." Van mused, yawning as he did so. His black hair was ruffled as he looked like he had an uneasy rest as well. He stood up in the cart and looked down, proud?  
  
"Below us is Fanalia, little lady." Ruhm explained, reaching one claw to point at it. It was a beautiful site. Trees lingered throughout the city, and townhouses lined the cobblestone streets. In the middle of it all, Hitomi noted a castle with a blue roof. It was fashioned the same way as most Japanese houses, with pointed roofs and the ends curled out. Wood seemed to be the most abundant supply, as the houses and the castle were made of it. The village seemed as peaceful as a church on sunday. Sprawled before her was the home of peasents and warriors alike. It wasn't a rich city, or a grand city at that- but it was a place to call home. It was a place where your grandmothers grandmother lived and so should your grandchildrens grandchildren. The people humble and loyal to the royal family- almost too humble. The gates that contained the city were large and grand, and seemed to stretch a hundred feet above Hitomi as she drew closer. At the top were outposts for the guards, and burnt-out torches hung by them. Some still emited smoke, in these early hours of the morning.  
  
"It's...." Hitomi whispered, her voice full of magic and excitment. Despite the fact she was a world away from her home, Hitomi for once felt something she could relate to. The comforting atmosphere reminded her of home. Of warmth and sunlight, and everything good in the world. Leave your worries a the gate sort of place. Hitomi soaked it up through a silver straw, as it was served to her on a golden platter. Fanalia.  
  
"LORD VAN!?" a voice echoed through a newly made crowd surronding the cart as it loomed into the city. It came to a sudden halt, and Van jumped down- wasn't it 10 feet up at least? He landed as gracefully as a butterfly on a flower, his feet planted firmly where he liked it- on the ground. He stood up, and the crowd seemed to love him. "Prince Van!"  
  
"Merle!" Van called. Hitomi peered over the side of the cart and saw a cat..no a girl! Like that beast man! Apparently a she, Merle had a tuff of pink hair that flipped out behind her large cat-ears. Hot pink hair that stuck out every which way. Dressed in nothing but a simple dress with a primitive pattern on it, Merle threw her arms around Van. Did I mention the long tan and brown tail that flicked with delight as he returned the hug? The dress was short, and showed her brown stripes along her thigh that matched the ones on her face and arms. Along with that, Merle had these pom-pom type things around her wrists that matched the white puffballs at the shoulders of her dress and of those on her sandles.   
  
  
She had cat written all over her. From the little nose to those flashing blue eyes. "You know, Lord Van, I was like sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worried about you! I mean, so worried. RIDICULOSLY worried! I was afraid a dragon ate you, you know! You scared me!!!!"  
  
"Great. First a wolf-man, now a little cat girl." Hitomi muttered in disgust, with a look of discontent on her face. From the looks of things, she was Van's girlfriend. Or lackey. Or whore. Which ever you prefer. She flicked her tounge on his cheek in an affectionate manner.  
  
"Merlee..stop!! Everyone's looking." Van slightly chuckled as the smaller girl wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled herself into the crook of his neck. He smelled like a feild in the morning- with the breeze gently blowing. It was a wonderful smell.   
  
"I'm just so glad you're okay." She whisped, tightning her grip on him. Van looked up at Hitomi, who looked bored and chuckled slightly. She was odd, alright. From a different world, and a snappy attitude that matched his. Her profile did her justice. She had the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen, and they seemed to tell her every thought. They were gates into her head, and he loved to see what she was thinking. She was something new and fresh, and he liked that. Besides, she wasn't going to stay. Nothing. Ever. Stays. Except for Merle, the cat girl who was in his embrace. Why was he thinking of another girl while Merle was in his arms?  
  
"Lord Van." A voice interrupted his thoughts. Hitomi peered over the cart down at who called. It was a large man, known as Balgus. His attire consisted of metal armor, with black pants. To her, he looked like he was straight out of a fairy tale. A knight, noble, and loyal to the king. Lord Van?, Hitomi thought. He's a prince?? Merle, scared by this man, bowed to Van and backed away into the crowd- her head always down in respect.  
  
"Balgus. I have completed the task of dragon-slaying, and have brought back this drag-energist." Van stated, and the crowd gasped. Behind Balgus stood three other men dressed like him, but with different colors on. One had blonde hair, neatly pulled back into a ponytail and a mustache. The other had black hair, pulled into a bun, with a beard. Both dressed identicaly, one in blue and the other in red. A third appeared in green.  
  
"We four brigadere generals of Fanalia," Balgus started, "approve and validate that this is true. And therefore, we owe our allegience to you Van Fanel- King of Fanalia."  
  
The crowd went wild, and Van seemed pleased. The corination of course, would be just as magnificent.  
  
  
But until then, Hitomi would have to wait.  
  
What was she doing here?  
  
((A.n: I'm just a wee bit upset and depressed lately, so if my story seems to get morbid you know why. My birthday is tomorow. Wow.)) 


	4. King of Wine

A/N: Wow. I have like 20 reviews. Sweet. Midterms suck.   
  
Dedicated to:Aeka-himme, CSMars, Amarrie, Love Witch, Evangalion-totalfan, Meriadoc-bb, Stormy_Rose, Kiya, Kat, Cev, and of course, SabineballZ  
  
This Chapter: Merle's unknown past, An apparition after a fight, Hormones and Corinations, oh yes, and Dilandau  
  
  
  
  
  
Bored. She was always bored, even if she was away from home at a faraway place full of danger and peril. They, being the palace servants of Prince Van, gave her a small, cozy room in the middle of the main building of the castle. She could hear people walking outside her window, on the wooden balcony. No doubt servants and hand-maidens cleaning up the castle and bustling about their everyday pointless things. Pointless. Their lives had no meaning, nothing to look foward to! And yet everyday, they get up at dawn to change the sheets, wash the windows, clean the floors, dust the furniture, and cook the meals. Getting up at dawn, and going to bed well past dusk. "How can they stand it?"  
  
Hitomi sighed, leaving her thoughts at the treshold of the door and scanned the room. For being a palace, the rooms were small. Hers consisted of a bed, pushed against the right wall, a desk in the corner on the opposite side of the room, a dresser adjacent to it with a mirror over it, and a tapestry above her bed. The maids had placed her bag by the bed. She slowly squatted next to it, unzipped it, and took out her uniform. Might as well get changed, Hitomi thought, and go to explore or something; I'm going insane being cooped up! Hitomi pulled out various items, a toothbrush, haircomb, cd player, socks..extra shoes...  
  
I don't really honestly think I need to go into detail on how Hitomi got dressed or how fast she got dressed, so you can imagine all you want to. Finished dressing, Hitomi walked over to the shutters and swung them open to allow light through the glass-less window. Sun poured in, warming Hitomi and lighting the dim, dark room. It smelled like mothballs and musk. Taking a look down from two stories up, Hitomi saw guards and nobles zooming about. "What are they up to?"  
  
"Like a bad habit," a voice was talking from above, "Lord Van picks up travellers easily."   
  
"Who's there?" Hitomi called, her eyes intentions their own, looking around for the owner. Suddenly, a head popped out from the roof of the balcony, and it looked a lot like Merle. She clutched onto the ends of the roof and swung herself to land gracefully on the window sill. Slowly, like Hitomi wasn't even there, she licked her hands, her tail swishing back and forth. She was graceful and cunning, yet mischevious and troublesome. Then again, weren't all felines? Her sharp blue crystaline eyes peirced the very souls of all who dared look her way, yet softened around the raven haired boy she was affectionate for. Her heart was surronded by an ice only he could seem to melt.   
  
"Just DON'T get too formal with him," she started, sneering at a curious Hitomi, "you get me?"  
  
"I honestly, "Hitomi stuttered in all honesty (honestly! heh) and disgust, "have NO idea what you are babbling about."  
  
"Lord Van, you dummy," Merle hissed, her claws slowly digging into the wood. She flicked her tail and jumped from the sill to the floor, and waddled over to Hitomi's bag. "Boy, you sure got a lot of junk. Who needs this? What's THIS for?" All the while, pulling random things out of Hitomis' bag and throwing them behind her. Hitomi reached out for her to stop her raid, and as soon as she touched the cat girl, a vision came.  
  
  
----------------------------------------------------(Episode Four: King of Wine )---------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Hot. So hot, Hitomi thought, opening her eyes. In horror, she backed away from the sight in front of her. It was a village, pillaged and burning, with a forest behind it. Children were screaming all around, and she could hear the yells of men and women alike. "Screaming? This was no accident." The falling of wood cracked and sizzled. Hoofbeats were heard, shots fired. Chaos didn't allow sightseeing for Hitomi. A large wooden carriage pulled up next to a house, and a man ran up to it, knelt, and stood back up to salute.  
  
There was smoke everywhere, as thick as fog and billowing out of the village. Trees burned down in a matter of seconds, and wild fires broke out from behind and in front. People fled, some on fire and their bodies twisting and dancing as they died. Some fled to the nearby stream to douse themselves, others didn't make it. Children were abandoned as people tried to save themselves. It was a scary, yet so sad sight. The smoke hid the mysteries behind the attack, and answers couldn't be found in the cries of its victims.  
  
"King, Queen, I must advise a retreat! Zaibach is hot on our tail," a man in dark armor which reflected the fires light, was talking to the carriage that was in front of a burning building, "Folken-sama has already gone ahead. Please! I beg you, flee."  
  
"No. Not till everyone is out," a deep voice rumbled from within. Hitomi crept slowly up to the rose-wood carriage, with two steeds to pull it. A white hand pulled away the velvet looking curtains from inside, and Hitomi gasped. It was the same woman from her vision! The one with the black hair and soulful eyes like Van. Peering in, she saw the woman nursing a child around the age of 4. The child much resembled the prince she met, but a smaller and more innocent version of him. "Go ahead, round the survivors. This is the last time Zaibach attacks an allied country."  
  
"My lord," the woman spoke, her voice soft and slightly above a whisper, "hold Van. There's a child over there and I must retrieve it. Please, Lord?"  
  
"Varie...Alright. Please be careful. I," he looked down, his dark hair hanging over his eyes almost ashamed he finished, "love you."  
  
"I will." She gave him a small smile, and handed the small child to her husband. He took the raven-haired child in his lap and held him close, protecting his eyes from the cruel world. Parents try to do that a lot, hide their children, hinder them from growing up and loosing that innocent look to the,. The woman stood and pushed the door open. She gathered up her velvet dress in her right hand and had the first man escort her out of the carriage, and walked over to a crying child. The heat was too much, and the cries grew quieter as more people died, or were saved. "Come here."  
  
"Mommy! Daddy!" the child wailed, tears streaming down her cheeks and stinging her face. Next to the child was two bodies, one charred and black, the other and more cut wounds then anything Hitomi had ever seen. The vision was in black and white, but the child's hair was the only thing with color. Pink. Hot pink. And her small tail swished beneath her as she sobbed, rubbing her eyes. "Wake up. Wake up!"  
  
Varie, as gently as possible, scooped the crying child in her arms and rushed back over to the carriage as the house crumbled. She left the bodies of the childs parents to be disposed of by the earth. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay."  
  
  
"Merle..." Hitomi whispered, as the vision dissapeared. She took her hand away from Merle, still gripping her pendent, which gleamed. Merle's parents were killed! She was orphaned? Does that mean...  
  
[Scene II]  
  
"What are YOU staring at you creepy foreigner?" Merle spat, stomping her foot down and arms crossed. Hitomi backed away from her, and nearly tripped on something that lay discarded on the floor. Her pendent swung as she regained her balance, catching Merle's attention. "Ohh...pretty stone.."  
  
The cat girl waltzed over to Hitomi, and swiped it out of Hitomis clutch. She swung it in front of her eyes and grinned with satisfaction as a shocked Hitomi closed and opened her hand in an non-believing fashion. Swift. Cunning. Annoying! Hitomi felt a rage build inside of her gut, that certain fire that lay dorment in her."VERY pretty stone. I think I'll keep it!"  
  
"Wha- Hey!" Hitomi called after her as she bolted from the brown-haired girls room and down the narrow corridors. Hitomi followed in hot pursuit, literally on her tail. "Come back here cat-girl! I'll teach ya to mess with an athlete!"  
  
As Hitomi ran, her skirt swaying from side to side and her hands and elbows moving in perfect sync with her feet and knees. She was graceful as she turned a corner after the feline female. But something, whether by fate or by coincidence, made her look to her right, and a gleam caught her eye. Forgeting about her stone, she skidded to a halt and looked inside this room. It was dark, darker than her own room, with only small cracks that filtered the light. There were tall beams of cinderwood to support the ceiling, and Hitomi saw Van. He was okay, for a jerk, Hitomi thought, kind of cute. His eyes were closed, and a sword aligned with his face in his right hand. He turned it, and opened his eyes at the other figure in the room. His face held determination, as all royaltys do. And for an instance, Hitomi was at awe.  
  
It was Balgus, the samurai master from before who was his companion. He was tall- taller and bigger than anyone Hitomi knew or has seen on television. He had broad shoulders, and big muscles,( as he didn't wear a shirt so Hitomi could see). He had on black pants and had his own sword. Sparring? Van brought his sword to the floor and ran at the man, picking his sword up to strike him. Balgus easily knocked it away and walked up to him, saluting him by bringing a fist to his own shoulder. "You aren't charging aggresively enough, Lord Van!"  
  
"I know.." Van began, casting his eyes at the floor in a pout and in a morbid sneer he continue, "It's just that I don't like mortal..mortal sword combat."  
  
"Lord Van! That's no way for a king to act. You must be skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as melef combat."Balgus barked. Melef? "It appears we have a visitor."  
  
"Huh? Oh, it's only you." Van sighed, placing his sword back into his hilt. Hitomi heard a meow which caused her to look to her left, her neck craned to see a very smarmy catgirl. Merle was leaning against the wall, smiling and eyes just small slits against her dark skin, as she approached her. Her walk was lethargic and slow, as if she, in a cocky manner, knew something Hitomi did not.  
  
"That's the PROBLEM with you pesky foreigners. You have no manners whatsoever." And Hitomi could have heard her say something along the lines of 'stupid' and 'moron' and other unpleasent terms that one would not use in civilized conversation. Disgusted, Hitomi narrowed her eyes and bit her tounge. Don't say anything, Tomi, nothing at all that you'll regret.  
  
"Hey, catgirl, give me back my pend- What!" Hitomi regained her balance after Merle pushed past her and bounded into Lord Van's arms. She looked down, and in her hand was her pendent. "Good for nothing theif.."  
  
"Here I am Lord Van!" Merle said, her words sugar-coated as she threw her arms around Van. Hitomi felt like she could vomit right there, as Merle did disgust her. She rolled her eyes, oblivious to the fact Balgus had approached her. The darkness casted shadows on everything except two things. One, being Van. The other being Hitomi. Noone noticed. A cold breeze filtered through the stone cracks, chilling Hitomi.   
  
"It seems that we are in debt to you, little lady." He smiled, no smirked. He too took his sword and placed it back into the hilt on his belt. He explained, "Lord Van has told us what has happened, and I vow to you that I will get you home by any means necessary."  
  
"Do you really mean that?" Hitomi asked, her voice full of uncertainty. Balgus nodded and pursed his lips at her doubt of him. Hitomi noticed Van watching her every move, and it made her nervous. His eyes were so distant, so sad. Merle was desperatley trying to get his attention back on her.  
  
"Of course! A samurai never lies."  
  
"...Great." Hitomi replied, as enthusiastically as she could muster. Van was still watching her, ignoring Merle. Hitomi had the urge to get out of there and fast. His eyes made shivers go up and down her spine. She focused her gaze past him, and saw a white figure, licking his lips and reaching out at her. He was as white as the one girl and man she saw back on Earth. He, unlike the others, didn't seem to have anything wrong with him. But that was until she looked at a spear impaled in his white, blood-stained chest. "Who are you?"  
  
"Uhm. Lord Van, who's she talking to?" Merle asked in nothing more than one would call a whisper, eyeing Hitomi in a suspicious manner. Hitomi took a couple of cautious steps toward it. Her heartbeat quickened and her skin felt clammy. The lights seem to run away in fear. Fear of the thing before her that she could not categorize as human. Before Hitomi could blink, the figure rushed at her. She screamed as it went right through her, knocking her back onto the floor. She couldn't breath. She couldn't see. Too quiet. No, she couldn't hear either. Her eyes wouldn't open and her muscles wouldn't move. She was limp in Van's arm, as he picked her up; placing one hand on her back and the other under her thighs. She was incredibly light, and incredibly pale and reminded Van of an angel. To Van, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever set eyes on- shame he would never admit it.  
  
  
[Scene III]  
"Uhh...my head..." Slowly, she opened her eyes and met the face of another white figure. A woman, bent over her like a mother over a sick child. Hitomi flipped, thinking that someone was attacking her like earlier. "Stay..stay away from me!!"   
  
"Shh! Calm down, dear!!" The woman frantically screamed. Hitomi flailed her arms about in effort to shoo the woman off, muttering things like 'offoffoffofffoff!'. Of course the woman was shocked, and thought there was a demon inside of the girl she was attending too. Mental. "Van sent me! I'm a nurse! Please, miss!"  
  
"What? Oh!! Oh my!" Hitomi stopped and stared at the woman, feeling foolish. Her cheeks flushed and she looked down. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were another apparition. So sorry."  
  
"Apparition? Like, a ghost?" The woman, as Hitomi could now see the red cross on her chest, sat down on Hitomis bed in the hospital ward. She took a wet, hot rag from a nearby bowl and ushered Hitomi to lay down so she could apply it. Hitomi nodded stupidly. The light was enough to give Hitomi a migrane, and her head throbbed enough as it is. Hitomi rubbed her temples in effort to scare off the pain. It didn't help at all. She could vaguely recalls names and dates of places she learned in History, and her mind raced to remember what happened only seconds ago. She scrunched her face into a tormented look. "Are you okay dear?"  
  
"What?" Hitomi shook her head and blinked. She felt sick, and weak. She twisted underneath the covers and shivered. The woman, she now noted that she was rather large, bustled about the room, which faintly reminded Hitomi of a Cinderellas Fairy Godmother. Hitomi slightly giggled, and the rosie-faced plump woman replaced the wet towel on her forhead. The woman paid no mind to her patients giggle ( as she thought she was delirious and crazy at it is). The afternoon light filled the room from a window in the corner, above another bed. It was a ramshackled for a castle, and Hitomi noted to ask Van why he didn't spend more for better rooms.  
  
"The corination of Lord Van will take place in an hour, and I want you to get rest!! I need to keep an eye out there, and I can't be in two places at a time, now can I?" The woman smirked, as if she was witty or some sort. Hitomi rolled her eyes and flopped around on the stiff bed. It hurt her back, and she could've sworn that her back was now home to 1000 splinters. "Someone will be in to check on you every half an hour."   
  
"Oh." Hitomi didn't even hear her, or didn't want to hear her. Her thoughts laid on home, of Amano and Yukari, of her mother, of the chaos and trouble she'd face once she got home, and one last thing- the boy with wine eyes. He in his own sense lived his own life, above all, and thinking he was the best thing since slice bread. It infuriated her that he thought she was below him! He carried himself in a way Amano had not, had an awful scowl plastered on his face at all time.   
  
She loved it, yet hated him.  
  
Wanted to see him, yet wanted to avoid him.  
  
Her feelings lumbered toward friendship, and her heart ignored him as an ever possible love.  
  
Or did it?  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Van, in one way or another, felt his stomach churn. But, no, he wasn't nervous. What on Gaea, does HE have to be nervous about? He looked at his reflection, and admired his modest armor and kingly outfit. The grand cape that draped off of him, the silver that adorned his every garment. He thought he looked good, and he might as well have a large ego, for he deserved it. He was a known killer, far beyond innocent, but still respected, not feared, by the people. He was a good ruler, and a better fighter. Still young, and still naive, but never the less, he was a warrior and a man. His duties forced him to be mature further than his years, though lacked in the wisdom of woman and other such trivial things.  
  
That girl. She confused him so much. Her face with such soft features, pretty lips, big eyes. Gorgeous green eyes that demanded you to look at them, and could be seen a thousand miles away. Her hair looked as soft as silk, and he ached to run a hand through it just for a little bit. He didn't know why. He wanted to protect her, hold her. She angered him, yet soothed his soul, if only for little bits at a time. He barely knew her, of course, so this was too rushed to be real. He didn't want any woman to worry about him! He could take care of himself and didn't need anyone.  
  
Suddenly, the door burst open. Van stood, and saw a weak Hitomi. He took two steps towards her, in this dark room, and she staggered towards him. His heart lept, as she tumbled foward. His quick reactions kicked in, and he caught her in his arms. Her face was buried in his chest, and he could her the steady thump, thump, thump, of her heart against his. She had most of her weight, which was not a lot, against him, her arms delicatley folded against his chest, her chest pressed against him. Finally, after an enternity, she looked up. Green met brown in a thing Van could only describe as love. He blinked, and so did she. And then they shared a kiss. Her lips were soft, and reminded Van of feathers, and oh how he just wanted this moment to last forever. He closed his eyes, enjoying her and only her.  
  
There was a knock at the door and Van woke up. He shook his head free of the girl and his thoughts, stretching himself agains the wooden chair."Nothing but a stupid dream."  
  
"It's time, my lord." A servant said, opening the door into the afternoon sun. It blazed against his chest, and the light was reflected onto the ceiling.  
  
"Oh. Okay then." And he rubbed the crust out of his eyes, and stood up for a walk to his destiny. He was a king, and shouldn't be thinking of anything but that. He walked down the stone corridor, where he saw the garden and other rooms. This was the last time he'd walk through here as a prince.  
  
It was a nice dream. Stupid hormones. Stupid girl. Stupid eyes that I want to rip out. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.   
  
Stupid Van.  
  
  
[Scene IV]  
  
  
The corination was beautiful. Everyone in Fanalia had gathered to see the Head of Church, a crotchity old man with a white beard and glasses, king Lord Van, placing some one thing or another in his hands and saying a grand speech. Noone ever knew what was said, because the man spoke so softly, but they believed it true, and Van heard. That was enough for them all. It was held outside, as the sun set and the heat of the day started to waste away into a cool evening. It was like most normal corinations, with cheering, and applauding, long speeches, cramped legs and other sorts of excitement (kind of like a wedding or when something really big happens that people say is all great and exciting, but you just can't wait to get home and curl up to go to sleep).   
  
The place where it was held was a sight itself. The floor was open, and a soft copper shade and appeared to be studded with marble or some other rich material. High towers stood at the end of the vast stone feild, and in the middle, where a circular pattern ended, Van knelt. His head always low, and the glare from the stones hurt his eyes. The people massed around, and the soilders in formation. All in all, a beautiful sight. And the king with wine eyes accepted the throne, against the moutainistic setting, with trees that swayed in the wind. Wine eyes.  
  
Hitomi, however, did not see the corination. She had been cooped up in the hospital wing, and finally was released as nothing more than a silly girl with thoughts of home. Words filtered through conversation, such as 'cursed place' and 'Mystic Moon' and 'witch'. People stared at her, and pointed, making comments to anyone around to make themselves feel important and smart. She, no matter how many people looked at her, kept her head up and her dignity. She wouldn't let people who sleep with pigs insult her. She was better than that to let whispers and rumon ruin her. All she could think of was wine eyes.  
  
"They're mocking yoooou. Haha." Merle had been, of course, the most annoying of them all. She was the one spreading rumors of how she ate the eyeballs of goats over some guts of something known as 'polysomethingoranother', which appeared to be a cross between a cat and a possum. Who knew? Merle followed her down the corridors, laughing and poking fun at her. She reminded Hitomi of a cat that followed her home one day after school. Never seem to take a hint just to GO AWAY.  
  
"For someone, who on my planet would eat mushed up crap," Hitomi said bluntly," you sure do know how to insult, you little theif."  
  
"Oh please. I'm probably ABOVE you in your world." Merle giggled, and Hitomi was about to take a rock and throw it at her head, until Van appeared out of nowhere. His arms crossed against his chest. He seemed to be brooding, as his eyes were closed (Hitomi saw an eyebrow twitch), and his lips curled upward in a position commonly known as a scowl. He was either in deep thought, or was asleep.   
  
"Merle, don't you have anything better to do?" Hitomi hissed at her, and the cat girl seemed to choke back laughter. Hitomi thought of words like 'pathetic' to classify her then and there. The sun was still setting, shadows dancing around them and following their every move. The wind was soft and warm, caressing them in an earthly embrace. It was the type of weather that spring was known for. Soft winds, laughter of children, birds singing, flowers budding. Corny things like that, but Hitomi couldn't seem to get enough. It always warmed her heart to feel at ease in the wind, even with an annoying cat and a brooding male. She leaned against a stone wall, and it felt cold and rough against her thighs. "How was the ceremony, Van?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"How are the wife and kids?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Blah blah blah blah blah?" Hitomi finally suggested. Van supressed a stupid smirk, but just lowered his eyes. Hitomi grinned from ear to ear, with an annoyed Merle sulking behind the wall.  
  
"Okay." And it seemed that's how things were going to be around here.   
  
  
---------------------------------Elsewhere..----------------------------------  
  
  
A boy, who was older than Van, yet younger than him, sat on a throne of black, thick, obsidian stone. He lounged, head resting in his hands, and his silvery white hair hanging over closed eyes. Where the throne lay was in a cold, damp, and always so dark room, with the only light coming from fire. Fire, which he was always associated with, was his only sanctuary. The only thing he took pleasure in, besides of course killing and death, closley following wine, long walks on the beach, and an occasional sword fight. He only felt warmth in the fire, and everything else made him cold. Not even the rush of death could satisfy that hunger for fire. Noone had even really gotten close to him, because fire is the devils only friend.   
  
He was a soilder, a swift killer, an assasin, a hero and a villian, beautiful and ugly, quiet yet loud. He was a walking contradiction that everyone loved to hate. He even hated himself at times, and sometimes felt there was more to him than him. He took pride in his beauty, but it only goes so far when you're a monster and everyone says you have an ugly soul. But what care did he have of everyone else? All they knew was how to judge and ridicule. They never knew the answers. He just wanted to talk, but the only things that came out were insults and defiance.  
  
He was alone, and could only confide in the darkness in his soul, and the fire. He was cold, but from the outside you couldn't tell. He, like many his age, was old at heart. Lost of all innocence and childhood. He didn't even know the meaning of that word. Many a nights, he would think of his childhood, but it was a blank page. Everything was a blank page.   
  
But don't pity him. Don't. You. Ever. Pity. Him. He's strong, you know. Him, with his silver hair, and his blood red eyes that thirsted for a good battle. Him, with his white skin, and pale complexion. Him, with his built body, yet soft skin. That sharp glare forever etched in his eyes that could cut out your heart. His perfect teeth that he frequently licked with his tounge. He was a dangerous sort of man,( I would say boy but war forces you to age well beyond your years.) And, of course, he would kill and hurt anyone who was in his way, or got on his nerves.  
  
On a list of what this boy hates is as follows:  
Arrogant, cocky people  
People who think they are better than him  
Heros  
Failure  
His own death, or the death of his soilders  
When people spoke out of line  
  
  
And numerous other things. But what he hated most, was most people. He hated the way they didn't care about him, or how he didn't care about them, and other such things about the whole 'caring' crap. He's always wanted someone, a significant other that he could confide it, just so he can pour out his hatred. But until then, he would just have to kill to release his anger.  
  
  
And when he was told to burn Fanalia down to the ground, and find this 'dragon', he smiled. One of his wicked smiles that sent chills down your back.  
  
  
Oh, yes, this would be fun.  
  
  
[Scene V]  
  
  
Van had been unaware of the attack at first. All he was told that invisible giants had literally squashed a guard, burnt three homes, and was on their way to the castle. In a heat haze, he could vaguely make out shapes that only seemed to kill, fire that only burned innocent lives, and apparently- attack Fanalia. Going through his mind were things like 'why now?', 'why' and of course, 'what am I supposed to do'? He had led Hitomi, following him closely, to Balgus. Around them, people ran yelling things like 'assemble the melfs' and 'get the woman and children out of here'.  
  
  
She,however, was utterly- totally scared. She tightened her grip on Van, and she could feel his heart beat. He was nervous! That relaxed her to know she wasn't the only one. They had lost Merle awhile back, and were now before Balgus in a battle. She looked out, and it reminded her of Merle's village. Fire, screams, and chaos. The scent of smoke heavy in the air, and stones stained in blood.  
  
Not again.  
  
"Lord Van, take the Lady Hitomi and retrieve the Escaflowne and FLEE, my lord." Balgus instructed, pulling a very large sword out from a hilt that was presented to him. He was in war armor Hitomi noticed.  
  
"Escaflowne?" Van asked, quite offended that Balgus didn't want to let him fight. Balgus was murmering orders to the other generals that had appeared out of nowhere (which later was learned that they were killed in the most ungentlemanly way), as most things do when your heart is running 10x faster than its used to, and when war is going on around you. Hitomi then noticed them. Tall, large metal suits burning down Fanalia. What?  
  
"Yes, in the shrine." Balgus pushed him foward. "Now, GO."  
  
So they ran. She was right behind Van as they ran behind the castle, and up marble steps that seemed hidden in smoke and brush. He opened the large wooden door, and the creak seemed to scare of various things living in the shrine. And laying at her feet was an odd room, with weird machines and moving floors. Van hopped down the stairs that led to the center of the room, and pulled out the dragons heart. And in the middle of the odd room, he held it above his head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"I Van Fanel," he began, voice strong. He cut his finger open by his blade, and blood dripped onto the energist. "King of Fanalia do bind myself to thee, Escaflowne by blood pact. Thou sleeping dragon- awake!"  
  
And it did. Above them, was a rock cacoon. At first, little rocks fell and scattered on the floor, and then there was a sickning crack and parts of the shell started to fall off. As it did, the energist above Van's head began to glow an eerie red. And at last, with one final crick, a large, metal suit fell out elegantly in front of Van. It seemed to kneel before him, and he hopped up from its leg. He touched a big, red large jewel on the chest of the robot, and placed the jewel inside of it. It was gooey one second, then hard the next. After the jewel was set in, a cockpit appeared before Van.   
  
He jumped into it, and scanned. He placed his arms in its controls, and it automatically strapped the rest of him in. There was a whir of bolts, and swish of metal and that familiar click as things fastened. He, in all his glory, was now controlling a guymelef, the large mobile suit of metal Escaflowne. It was gorgeous. Hitomi could see two green jewels that glistened on the shoulders, and the silver color of it all reflected light. The head of the suit seemed to be like a midevil helmet, with the faceplate you can see through. Hitomi knew that Van could move it well because of all of the joints it had. And how could I forget- the royal blue cape that stretched out like wings behind him. At first when he stood, it let out steam of some sort, and when he began to move a current of air rushed past Hitomi.  
  
It was like a large person.  
  
"Great, just like the old tech set. I can do this." Van muttered to himself. He noticed Hitomi staring at him in awe, and why shouldn't she? It was his fathers guymelef- one fit for a king. Van didn't have any trouble at all controlling it. He made it reach behind his back and pull out a sword that extended.   
  
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Hitomi asked, frantic for her 'friend's life. He lumbered foward, akwardly at first. His steps were like thunder in the small shrine.  
  
"Fight them, "Van replied, determind as ever, "with Escaflowne. What are you doing? Get out of here!"  
  
"VAN!" Hitomi screamed, noticing one of those giants entering the shrine and charging for Van. He seemed to be oblivious. "To your left!!!!"  
  
"What?" Van guarded the attack, and parried with one of his own. As soon as he seemed to hit it, it appeared. It, like Escaflowne, was a guymelef- one of those strange mobile suits used for fighting. It however was blue, and a different built. It was more rounded, and possesed an eerie feel to it. Instead of the midevil look, it had a technological look, with a window-type eye for the pilot to see through. And instead of a sword, claws were at the end of the arm, that melted and reformed into a sword. "A guymelef!"  
  
"Got ya!" Van yelled, getting into the adrenaline that battle put into his veins. He swung his sword to the right, and hit another guymelef- sending it backwards and hitting the wall. Parts of the roof crumbeled from the impact, and Hitomi had to dodge them. Then she noticed Balgus jump up on one of the guymelefs and slice through it. He, with his overly large sword, mounted on top of that blue robot, who saved her life.  
  
"Lord Van! Take the Lady Hitomi and FLEE!" Balgus barked at Van.  
  
"I won't turn my back on my enemies!" Van yelled back at him. With a swift motion, he reached the hand of the suit out and gripped Hitomi around her waist. It was like one of those odd roller coasters, that keep your feet dangling. She felt motion sickness, and closed her eyes. Death.  
  
He ran outside, and saw a sight he never dreamt of. What used to be Fanalia was now rubble, burning rubble and the only survivors were on the hill.  
  
Death.  
  
He couldn't believe his eyes, and nearly sobbed aloud. "No."  
  
Destruction.  
  
Balgus was on another guymelef, and what happened next was unpredictable. Another one of those giants appeard out of nowhere, tossing its cloak aside, and aimed its arm right at him.  
  
"Watch out!"  
  
Despair.  
  
It was too late. Balgus turned to look at the other one, and it sent out a silver bolt that was like a lethal arrow. It impaled him through his chest, and sent him sprawling down the guymelef. Hitomi had to hide her eyes, and her hands twitched in fear and shock. His body hit the ground in an odd position, with a thud and crunch. A pool of blood started to form around the samurai, and with his last breath he said to Van, "Flee, my lord, and someday return and rebuild our home. I'm sorry that I failed you."  
  
"Balgus..no."  
  
Death.   
  
Despair.  
  
Destruction.  
  
The other guymelefs seemed to surrond Hitomi and Van, and the heat was almost too much. She was choking. Need to get out. Traumatized. Too much. Are we going to die?   
  
"NO!" Hitomi screamed, and her pendent and Escaflownes chest was absorbed in that same blue light. They dissapeared, back into the sky, leaving their enemies behind in a confused state.  
  
Up on the hill, Merle watched the column ascend.  
  
"LORD VAN!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What has just happened was confusing. Noone ever knows what's going in war, and sometimes you just have to hope that maybe it was all just a dream.  
  
Or maybe a vision. 


	5. A Demon Kiss

A/N: Sorry this took so long..uhm...yeah. :) i'll start writing again, promise. I think I'm getting crappier as I go on...oh well. Reminder, I'm just rewriting the story with little plot twists and all. Uhm, so yeah. :D Love escaflowne? Me too. Read. I like to make things long. They seem better that way. Untold things makes me uneasy.  
  
[this episode: Blue-eyed "Angel", blue-haired "Strategos", oh yes, fighting and a kiss. But between who?]  
  
Was it all just a dream? Or maybe..or maybe it was a vision! No, she was pretty sure it was real. Upon opening her eyes, the wet grass below her came slowly but surely clear into her view. Each drop clearer and more vibrant than the last, until finally her vision had returned. The shadows swarmed her, and the moon casted an eerie glow arpund her. No, not just the moon. The moon and Earth. Oh, no.  
  
It wasn't a dream, as she had so hoped it to be. Slowly drawing herself up and standing, leaning on a nearby tree, she looked around for Van. He was nowhere in sight. The stars glistened, and added to that surreal glow. The chirping of bugs, and howling of creatures unknown only added to her fear. She, alone on a strange planet with things that wanted to hurt other things, and maybe even herself. She, who had no direction of where to go or who to trust. She. Hitomi Kanzaki, alone, lost, and for the first time in her life- in a sense of dread. Of course, there had been other times when she was lost on Earth, but she knew how to get home. How was she supposed to get home, when home was a planet away? Sensing that Van was not closeby, or that mysterious machine, oh what was it called..Escaflowne?  
  
Escaflowne. What a weird name. Like everything else on this stupid, scary planet. Lost in her thoughts, Hitomi found herself in a grove by a small body of water. She sat down by a tree, underneath the stars in a forest of danger an uncertainty. She cradled herself in her knees and sighed.  
  
"Oh Amano, Yukari. Where am I?" Hitomi despaired, hands fingering the hem of her skirt. Unaware, always unaware of what was around her, she layed back, absorbing in the nights scent of mud and leaves.   
  
Why, oh why was this not a dream? Or a vision, like those other things? Why can't I reach out my hand and everything before my fingertips dissapear, like snowflakes when you touch them? And where, Hitomi asked herself, is Van?  
  
----------------------------------------(Episode Five: A Demons Kiss)---------------------------------------  
  
Van, a native to the land, wasn't so much worried about finding someone to keep him safe, but rather of his homeland. Had everyone gotten out okay? What about Merle? And, he thought as he stood atop Escaflowne, who would attack Fanalia? Fanalia had no known enemies, no resources worth killing for, and the people were not exactly slave material. There was no obvious or apparent reason of why Fanalia, a little country, would be attacked. No, it wasn't a huge place like Asturia, or famous like Freid and all of their allies. It was just Fanalia, a country known of, but nothing worth taking.  
  
So why was it attacked? Van looked around and then up at the sky. Good, he thought, I'm still on Gaea..at least.."At least by the look of the stars."  
  
Still scanning his surrondings, he justified that he wasn't close to Fanalia. There was no smoke in the air, just that crisp night scent of the semi-chilled air and nature. No lights appeared through the thickets in the forest, and there appeared to be no sign of life around him. No sign of..of Hitomi! How could he had so easily put her out of his mind? "Where did that strange girl go?"  
  
He looked around, and sensing that she was not aroud, he hopped down off of Escaflowne, his boots hitting the soft mud with nothing more than a thud. He stood up straight and pondered which way to start looking. Should he take Escaflowne? What if she left..left the planet? He had barely gotten to know her.. It would be unlikely that she was transported off the planet, but at least she would be home and safe. She wouldn't have to know the pain he had, no..no pain of war. No burden of taking care of a country. She came from a strange world. A world so unlike his own. Her world smelled different, and there were no dragons. No doubt the wind blew different there as well. No doubt there weren't slow summer days, but days that were rushed and cold. He cocked his head to the sky, and it seemed that, indeed, the Mystic Moon was still bright.  
  
Maybe she hadn't left. No yet, at least.  
  
He couldn't help but feel relieved, and that feeling didn't go unnoticed.   
  
[Scene II]  
  
Hitomi felt dirty. And cold. And alone. Scared wasn't the first word. Dirty, and disgusting. Sweat had accumalated all over her, and dirt stuck to her legs and hands thanks to the new adhecent. The air sent shivers up her spine, and she couldn't help but close her eyes and lean against the trunk of the large tree. She felt helpless, and very weak. Too tired, and slowly sleep overcame her. Besides, what could she do on a strange world but be helpless?  
  
Amano was there. Sitting next to her, who had woken up. Birds were singing, and it only seemed to be midafternoon. No night sky had appeared, and the glistening of the stars were absent. Birds chirped and whistled overhead, and the warmth was welcomed by Hitomi. She felt awake, refreshed, and most of all safe. There was no fires, no killing, and no boy with wine eyes. She forgot his face as Amano smiled his warm smile. The smile that made you forget where you were, who you were. That hypnotizing smile, with his perfectly straight white teeth, and his warm eyes.  
  
"I was worried about you Kanzaki," he explained with that soft voice of his, full of concern. Hitomi soaked in the settings..the track. She was in her track uniform, and her sweats served as a pillow. "You took quite a fall."  
  
"I guess," she replied, "I guess I was dreaming. It was such a sad dream. (he looked at her with intense eyes) People dying, and a boy...a boy with no past. No past could fit him. He seemed so sad, so alone..."  
  
"Sounds like it was a sad dream." Amano agreed, his hands intertwining with the fall grass. Dead grass. Death? Why did everything lead back to death. The sky, a rich color that reminded Hitomi of champagne. (champagne dream?) Champagne, not wine. Amano was like champagne, with his kindness. Not like the boy with wine colored eyes. No rich wine eyes, only champagne Amano eyes. Eyes that didn't waver with uncertainty, and made butterflies dance in your stomach.   
  
"So scary too. I dreamt of a dragon, a village was burnt too. Smothering smoke." Hitomi continued, her girlish voice strong and clear. Were dreams always this real? She turned to him, and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here Amano."  
  
"Hitomi..." His voice lingered in her head, buzzing and reassuring, like that first high you get.   
  
She opened her eyes, and over her was the scariest thing she had ever seen. Or ugly. She screamed. A large, overly large, fat..fat...oh, who knows! A man? Oh god, oh god, he grabbed her wrist..oh god, oh god, what was he doing? Get him off me, Hitomi screamed mentally, wriggling below his massive weight. He wasn't necessarily strong, just fat. His pudgy hands with claw-like fingernails grabbed her wrist and twisted it. Her hand shot opened with pain and she gasped. He licked his teeth, like when a dog sees a piece of meat. His other hand forced her down, painfully, against rocks and roots. His legs pinned her into that position, and she felt vunerable to this ghastly thing-of-a-man.  
  
"Get off of me!! Stop!! HELP!!" She yelled. He just giggled, and made one noise or another. His glasses, which rested on his large ugly red nose, shimmered. He looked at her pendent, and DROOLED on her. "Stop!! Please, someone!"  
  
The man flew off of her, and she scrambled away from him, taking deep breaths. And before her...before her was an angel.  
  
(((--------(Van during Hitomis attack)------)))  
  
"Hitomi?" Van questioned, as a scream echoed through the forest, his heart racing with a new found fear and anger. "Hitomi!"  
  
He ran, and ran, his boots treading on the hard ground, and the only sounds of his jagged breathing. He had to get to her, she was in danger! What if..what if she died? What if..no, Van. Just get there. Fast. He used his hunting sense to remember which way the scream came from. Left, through that thicket of roses. Tiny pricks scratched at his arms, and blood trickled down his arm. Cold, coppery blood. He didn't care, what care did he? She..wait. Why did he care so much? He almost came to a stop, but fate pushed him on. The air hit his face, stinging him, but he didn't care. He nearly tripped on roots of the old trees. Again, his thoughts were of her.   
  
Why did he care? Explain, you say? Van, no matter how ghastly his behaviour is, how arrogant his ways are- keeps a promise. He had promised to return her, unharmed, to the Mystic Moon. He promised to take care of her, now that he was with nothing. He promised that she would breath Mystic Moon air, and run on Mystic Moon ground. He had promised that she would be safe, and not know what it felt like to murder, or to know death and pain.  
  
Who did he make this promise too?   
  
Himself.  
  
[Scene III]  
  
He appeared out of nowhere. A ghost upon a ghost ship, coming from the mist like an unreal heavenly body sent to protect her. A bird swooped from his shoulder, graceful and slender. His actions were fluid as he approached them. He was a ruby in the feild of diamonds.  
  
"Well, well. Now we attack little girls? What kind of man attacks little girls?" He stood before her, his long hair, longer than her own, cascading down his back. Long, blonde hair. She couldn't see his face, but his eyes, eyes of a bluish hue, glistened. The fat man cowered in fear before him. The man was tall, strong, and thinner than her attacker. Hitomi stilled clung to the tree trunk for dear life. He smirked, with his silkened voice sealed behind pursed lips.  
  
He sauntered, with reassurance, over to the fat man, and whispered his deadly threat of, "Now you'll pay." The man squeaked out something Hitomi didn't catch, but sounded like, "Arren." His gloved arm flew quicker than she could see, into an uppercut, and with such power that the man flew into the air and crashed with a loud thud on the other side of the glade. Her saviour, with his back to her, walked over to see if he was indeed knocked out. And he was. One punch! Hitomi, to scared to be impressed, whimpered. "There, there."  
  
"You're safe now, little girl." He said. His voice reminded Hitomi of ice-cream, as weird as that sounds. It was thick and creamy, and familiar. The man donned a blue outfit, with long blue paints and a blue vest,trimmed with gold and golden buttons. He wore a white shirt, with ridiculously poofy sleeves, and a pink bow that seemed to finish the outfit in a masculine way, even with that fru-fru pink bow. And at his side, that reminded Hitomi of wine-eyes, was a sword ina blue hilt. He turned around, and faced her fully for the first time. And before her, was Amano. Amano with long, shimmering blonde hair, and blue eyes. Amano, her Amano..  
  
"Amano.." The man knelt by her, and lifted her chin in his gloved hand, and smiled Amanos smile. "Amano..I'm so glad too see you.I never thought I'd see you again..."  
  
"Huh?" The man asked, before the girl fell foward, limp into his arms. He picked her up, her long slender legs dangling and arms swaying with his movements. "What is she doing out here?"  
  
"Hitom-" a boy appeared from the clearing, with a heavy breathing and grabbed at his sword. "What did you do to her? ( a growl escaped his curled lip) I'm going to kill you if you harmed her.. I'll make you pay with your life."  
  
"Don't be so quick to draw that sword." The man whispered smugly. He turned his back on the boy, who you would recognize as Van. He lets a small sigh and holds the girl closer to him, in a protective yet still gentlemanly manner. Van starts to draw his sword. "Don't draw. You draw, and you die."  
  
"Say what?!" Van asks, shocked. Did he think he was playing around? Van smirks, his skill hidden. He was a samurai, a warrior, and he would not hesitate to take another life. It was easy to do after your first, after all. "You have nothing on me."  
  
"A knight must meet steel with steel." He started to walk away, offending Van in more ways than one. "I don't draw to play with little boys."  
  
He unsheathes his sword, the glowering essence of the blade shimmers in the twilight by the glade. Van lowers his head, raises it again, but with a devilish sort of smile. He couldn't loose. No, he wouldn't loose.   
  
"How foolish." The man said, more bored than annoyed. He took Hitomi gently, and set her down against a tree. She fell limp against it, her limbs in awkward position. Van holds his position, and the man pulls a sword out from his side. He taps it against his gloved hand, and turns to face Van. Van, who was more confident than scared, tossed his head so a few of his locks would be out of his eyes. He lowers his sword to the ground, grips it with both hands adjacent to his side, and charges him. The man, however, knew Van's tactics, it seems, before Van did. With the grace of 1000 ballerinas, he takes a back leap, and flips over a dazed Van. In reaction, Van tries to turn but it is too late. "You're good...but.."  
  
He swings his sword and hits Van in the stomach. Van cringes and throws up a mixture of spit and wine, and crumples to the ground in a fetal positon. "You were too slow. You're too good to be killed, and that is why I hit you with the back-end of my sword."  
  
The man walks over to Van, puts his sword back into his hilt, and picks up Van with ease, throwing him over his shoulder like he was nothing more than a ragdoll. Van hands limp off his shoulder, as the swordsman bends over and looks at the seal on his sword. "Fanalia?"  
  
[Scene IV]  
  
"Two..." he seethes, his voice smooth and sharp, "Two of my Alseides units were damaged by those bumpkin samurai? TWO were damaged, eh?"  
  
A cold wind blew in from the window, and the various candles in the room flickered. Dilandau sat on a throne, grinding his teeth and his lip twitching. Before him, 2 boys around his age, but in blue and black armor, knelt. A couple of feet behind them, 7 were kneeling, with another good 6 stood. All looking the same, but with different haircuts. All in the same dress, all with grim, vacant expressions, and all with their eyes facing the ground. They didn't dare test his patience today. The floor was metallic, and clinked when their leather boots touched it. None of them, though, made a sound now. They were afraid to even breathe now.  
  
It was a Zaibach, another nation like Fanalia but was more advanced and war-like, floating fortress. It actually, in my opinion, looked like an upside down moutain, black and orange, with platforms here and wires there. Windows looked more like divits and crators in the rock, which actually was leva-stone, and the doors were hidden well. Anchors, where the guymellefs were stored, were the only visible entrances. The fortress lumbered slowly over a burning Fanalia, and inside one room was a pissed off Dilandau.  
  
"Step. Foward." Dilandau taps his fingers against the armrest of the chair, then stands. His position is very slack, his weight more on his left side than his right, and his left hand against his hip. The two boys clambered over to him, and he raised his hand. A faint smack echoed through the chamber, and all but Dilandau grimaced. "How PATHETIC! You are a disgrace to the Dragon-Slayer name! And to think...Do you two incompetants want to disgrace my name?"  
  
"We..We're very sorry!" Both stuttered. Their voices were higher than his, and he sneered. These two were supposed to be one of the best! Chesta and Dallet, one with white hair that was fluffy and curly, and the other with straight, longish type of brown/purple. "So sorry, Lord Dilandau."  
  
"I won't repeat myself again," their commander said, his silver hair shining in the fire, "I won't stand for incompetance. Do you understand me? Get out of my sight."  
  
"Thank you sir," they retreated back to the line, and he sighed. Today was not his day. He crossed his gloved arms, the leather squeaking with his movement. The dragon-slayers stood in silence, anticipating. He shook his head, and stormed out of the room. The boys side in relief.  
  
Dilandau wore a grim expression as he headed down the narrow corridors of the fortress. His boots made a slight thud,thud,thud, as he walked through the darkened hallways. He didn't like the closed in-feeling. It caused shivers to ripple up his spine, but he welcomed the cold air that was trapped in there. He couldn't hear anything, and that in itself was a relief. All he could hear was his heartbeat, the thudding and squeaking of boots, and the echoes of his breathing. He turned, and knocked on a metal door, his destination. The door slid open, and he walked in.  
  
"Dilandau," a man said, his voice deep and soothing, " there was no need to burn Fanalia to the ground. I want to see my stealth cloaks used more..wisely."  
  
"I didn't expect you to say such things, Folken," Dilandau laughed his mechanical laugh (not maniacle..), that sounded fake, "after all, you betrayed Fanalia."  
  
The man, whom he was talking to, was the Zaibach Stratigist Folken. His large figure was only amplified with his sorceres cloak on, a black with purple cloak, held together only by a pin shaped like a club like in a card set. He, in his own sense, was beautiful. He donned blue-white hair, that spiked up and out, with a rats tail in the back. His lovely pink-red eyes that burned with passion about everything, especially if it was science. He was smart, oh yes, he had to be. He was tall, and loomed over Dilandau. Beneath his cloak was a secret, but from what Dilandau could tell, his one arm was not quite right... And his signature purple tear, like he was crying for the world, annoyed Dilandau more than anything. He wanted to rip it off and watch him bleed. But, that would have to wait.  
  
"I've got no reason to listen advice about battle," the boy continued, "from an amateur like you, Strategos."  
  
".."Amateur"..Amateur indeed.." Folken chuckled, musing on that thought, as the entered a circular room. He lifted up three pillars in front of a large screen, from the floor. No, no, he seemd to pull them OUT of the floor. "You're too blunt."  
  
"What's this room used for anyways?" Dilandau asked, his obvious boredom showing, as Folken pushed on the stands. Dilandau wanted to get off the subject, and onto something more his style. Gore, fire, anything but his character "flaws".  
  
"Oh that's right..this is your first time here, isn't it?" Folken said, almost absent-mindly and not even to Dilandau himself. Both on uneasy terms, and quick to change the subject with the blink of an eye. Folken stands in the middle of the three pillars, which alignment was more of a triangle. Dilandau stood, off to the side, as an old face blinks on the screen in front of them. It's a fuzzy picture, each pixel is shown, and the man isn't young, or attractive. White hair cascaded down, and ended in odds and ends of curls. His eyes were nothing but purple slits, set in a face of wrinkles. His beard covered his mouth, and Dilandaus eyes bugged out.  
  
"Emperor Dornkirk!" the boy fell to the floor in a clumsy action, his head lowered in respect. Folken, however, held his position, standing tall and the man began to speak in his eerie, distant, scratchy and hoarse voice,  
  
"Folken..the shadow of the dragon that has fallen upon the Zaibach Empire has not dissapeared yet."He wheezes, and Dilandau curiously takes a peak. Folken seemed to understand the mans strange words as he continued, "The dragon escaped Fanalia. Capture it..no matter the cost."  
  
"Of course, your majesty." The wise young man nods, and angrees to his Emperors orders.  
  
"One more thing.." Dorkirk adds, his monitor blinking in and out, "My Destiny Predictor didn't expect the column of light to appear... ...but I sense a shift of power in it. Get rid of the uncertain elements. The dragon is within the border of Asturia. Capture the dragon to revive the legendary power of Atlantis."  
  
What was all of that about? Dilandau questions himself, 'Dragon' again?  
  
[Scene V]  
  
She tossed and turned, in a foreign bed, the sheets tangling themselves in her long legs. The knight watches over, keen and aware that she is dreaming as one word escaped her lips, "Amano."  
  
That same name she called him. Was Amano her protector? Her brother..or perhaps..her lover? Did she have one? Maybe it was that boy, that boy with black hair. He had refused to give his name, and carried the legendary kings sword with the Fanalian emblem. Was he..was he the king of Fanalia? His thought was interrupted as she stirred, and slowly opened her eyes. They were magnificent in the sunlight, the greenish shade of green. "Oh, so I see you're awake."  
  
She didn't say anything. Her eyes wandered to the group of men sitting behind the knight. All ruffagens and scoundrels, maybe theives, sat around an open fire. One, who the knight knew as Reeden was the second to comment, "So the princess awakens."  
  
The room was wooden, and much more open than Fanalian rooms. Much brighter, and dirtier too. She was lying on a bed, and as an automatic action, she backs away, her eyes full of terror. Another one of those..scruffy looking men adds, "Hiya cutie. Didja sleep well?"  
  
"That's enough." The knight interjects, and groans are heard from around the room. "Can't you see she's scared? I don't blame her, waking up to a bunch of ugly mugs as yourselves is quite frightning."  
  
"You're mean boss." Someone chimes in.  
  
"Yeah, we ain't THAT ugly!"  
  
"Except for maybe Pyle!" Laughter roared from around the room. She sighed, taking a breathe of fresh air, and closed her eyes to recollect her scattered thoughts. A breath-taking image, for such a young girl. How can someone cope to such different customs? Hoisted from one way of life to another. God, they didn't even have running water..  
  
"I guess I'm not on earth." Hitomi mutters, through her lips. She all of the sudden was reminded of a movie she loved as a child. The Wizard of Oz. She herself, much felt like Dorothy, and maybe Van was the scarecrow, and this Allen the tinman....oh how delightful that would have been! Poppies will make them sleep, she thought, and mentally giggled. She was so stupid at times, and reopened her eyes to his face, merely 6 inches from her own.  
  
"What's happened to you?" He questioned, pure concern seething from those blue eyes, "You can tell me, if you don't mind. Little lady, as a knight of Asturia, I, Allen Shezar, will protect you. You're a guest at this fort, and as it's commander I vow to protect you. It's my duty as a knight, no, as a man."  
  
"Allen..?" Hitomi questioned him. He smiles, and the foreigner felt awkward. This felt so wrong. Where was Van? Where was he? He was..here, right? He had to be..Please, Van! She didn't seem to interested in his heroic speech, in his vow to protect her. She, no matter how much he looked like Amano, was not Amano. Nor Van. (keep this in mind, a) No me gusta Allen and b) this is a Van/Hitomi fic you baka!) She wanted some wine at that moment. Some rich, wine...reoccuring, caring, lovely, wine eyes..  
  
"Man, how can he spout all of that out without blushing?" Reeden asked, looking at the other guys. The bald one, with an ugly scar, licked his knife, and the fat one with the ugly nose let out a disgusting belch, oh there was the skinny one with something in his hair, oh yes, they were an odd looking bunch alright. And all of their attention was on her and Allen. She felt her heart pounding, 10x louder..how can they not hear it? Was his palms as sweaty as hers?  
  
"It's a gift." The fat one offered, and more chuckles from around the room. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a scruffy man with a poor excuse for a beard came in, and behind him two guards that held a collective hold on..on Van! Hitomis heart raced, and for a moment forgot who she was and he was, and jumped up. She pushed pass the raggamuffin man, and threw her arms around Vans neck. Vans eyes widened as he looked down at her. She was alright! She...she was okay. Goosebumps ran down his arms.   
  
"Van.." she breathed, her hot voice forcing his hair to stand on edge. She nestled her head in the crook of his neck, and choked back a sob. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried! ..I thought..I thought you left me..."  
  
"Hitomi.." He staggered. Aw hell, what was she doing? How was she doing that to him? Making his heart race. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but unfortunatley, were bound behind his back. Maybe that was for the better. Her scent was driving him crazy as is, let alone...  
  
"Oh..I see you know each other?" Allen sighed, standing up and smiling. Van glowered and his lips curled, and his cheek twitched into a snarl. Hitomi closed her eyes, and pushed away from Van to turn around and face him.  
  
"Yes, yes we do." Hitomi answered, giving a reassuring smile. Van bit his lip in attempts to hold back his insults that filtered through his mind. Didn't Allen know to stick his big ugly nose out of business that wasn't his? Vans fingers twitched to hold his sword..for a rematch. There was no way this frillish man was going to downsize him again. There was no way Hitomi would want him, when she could have Van, right?  
  
They, Van, Hitomi and Allen, sat on the deck that gaveway to the room they were just sitting in. Hitomi and Allen sat, actually, on two gothic-iron chairs, Allen leaning on his elbow for support. Van stands behind Hitomi, his arms crossed and another one of his sour faces planted on his features. The girl sat, uneasily, with her knees bent in and her hands resting on her lap.   
  
It was a beautiful day. The sky was the bluest blue anyone had ever seen. White, fluffy clouds drifted, and the sun beated down on them, warming and comforting. It must be spring here, Hitomi mused, yet it's Fall on Earth. Birds fluttered overhead, specks against the atmosphere. From where Hitomi sat, she could see the fortress walls, tall wooden spikes alligned so straightly. The fort sat on a hill of rock and dirt, as there was no grass, but afar was the forest. She could see men from before, taming horses, sparring, and doing their daily activites. Van and Hitomi had just finished their tale, when Allen commented,  
  
"Mystic Moon..? You're telling me she's one of the Moon's inhabitants? Are you saying she resides there?" He asked, his voice crystal clear, perfect punctuation and no words slurred. Hitomi could easily tell that he was a smooth talker, as she had heard his speech from earlier that day. Van scowled, then sighed.  
  
"Yes," he answered, frustrated, "just as I've told you many times before."  
  
"I see," Allen replies, nonchantley and bemused. He picks up a hilt from his side,opens it and reveals the swords crest- the crest of Fanalia. "It must be true if the King of Fanalia says so. Hmm..by the way, what's your name?"  
  
"Hitomi, sir," she answers, (because he obviously knew Van and it was addressed to her), with that Japanese respect, "Hitomi Kanzaki."  
  
"Hitomi.." The knight repeats, savoring the way it sounds, "It has a nice ring to it."  
  
"Allen," Van interrupts before Allen has the chance to hit on her even more, "I apologize for entering your country without notice. So Escaflowne...please give my Guymelef back to me."  
  
"And what will you do when you get it back?" he inquires, watching Van's roller coaster of emotions. He steps foward, and clenches a gloved fist. Will he take -her- back with him, Allen asks himself, or will I take her under my wing? He doesn't seem that interested in her, and afterall she is from that cursed planet. There are many legends stating that the people there are cursed, just like the ancient people of Atlantis. But this girl doesn't look like she'd hurt a fly, let alone be cursed and bring down a wrath of destruction upon my country. The mental battle is broken when Van answers.  
  
"I'll return to Fanalia, " Van explains, his voice full of emotion. "I was attacked by an unknown enemy, and during the battle I was taken to this place."  
  
"It's a waste of time." The golden-haired man tells. Vans mouth falls open, in a shocked sort of notion.   
  
"What?! How..How can that be?!" Hitomi asks for him. They both stare at Allen intently, and the tension in the room built even more.  
  
"Fanalia was burned to the ground. Everything was destroyed." Allen enlightens them. Van staggers back, and leans against the wall, his heart racing and his eyes full of disbelief. Hitomi couldn't believe a word either. It seemed to unreal, to much like a fairy tale. No,nonononononono.  
  
Then her thoughts turned to Van. Then Merle. The blue-roofed castle. The forest. The people. The narrow streets and the small buildings. The dragons. They couldn't be all gone, could they?   
  
"Th-that can't be..you're lying!" Van shouts, the anger in his voice apparent. Hitomi turns her head, and clenches her eyes shut. Maybe if she reopened them, she would be in her room, safe. Tears brimmed her eyes. So much pain in such a short amount of time. Oh what she would do to be taking an exam right now. Or even a hot bath.  
  
Allen sighs. Of course it would be difficult to explain, "I am not lying to you, Van Fanel. A couple of my countries merchants saw it this morning. Everything was burnt to the ground, hell, there was even some smoke and a couple of small fires still present.. I'm sorry for your lost. What happened? If you tell me, I might be able to help you.."  
  
"Van.." Hitomi whispers, reopening her eyes and staring up at Van. In return he looked down, down at tears in those gorgeous green eyes. He closes his eyes, and turns his head from her.  
  
"Fanalia..Fanalia is gone." Van repeats to himself. It didn't sound right- it sounded almost foreign rolling of his tounge. The only question running through his mind was, 'Why?'. Before Van could grieve any further, the walls and floors began to shake. Van grabbed onto the railing and looked to the sky. Above them, in that blue backdrop, three Zaibach Floating Fortresses and other ships, circling above- blocking out the sun. Hitomi squinted her eyes, just enough to catch a glimpse of falling...falling...well, something was falling. Black dots, just barely visible against the blinding orb. She allowed her mind to wander, and for a minute she thought that those black dots, hurdling at them like arrows falling through the sky- they were those giants...those horrible, invisable giants that attacked Fanalia.  
  
"Van!" Hitomi yelped out, her realisation a vital one, "Those are those monsters that attacked Fanalia.."  
  
"Guymellefs! It's Zaibach guymellefs!" One of Allens' men yelled. Van could feel his heart pounding, with each second that they got closer, his heart thumping within his chest. He turned to Hitomi and closed his eyes.  
  
"Are you sure, Hitomi?" Allen asked her, before Van had the chance to speak. He curled his lip into an unpleasent snarl, and gripped the railing.   
  
"Of course! I saw them!" She explained, almost frantic. Didn't he believe her? A thud from the side drew their attention back to the guymellefs. And before Hitomi could blink, they stood there. Soldiers? The rows in which they stood were so straight, like dominos- black and blue- and Hitomi could just imagine knocking on into the other, watching them fall with the grace of ragdolls. From between the two vertical rows, a red figure emerged, with two blue figures behind him, holding up signs- banners, to be more exact. The way the red figure stood, he was no doubt the leader. He looked no older than Van or herself, but seemed a lot more, foreign. He had pale skin, silver hair that gleamed in the sun, and a sort of arrogance. Hitomi could always tell how someone was by the way he/she present his/herself. And he seemed arrogant, sad, lonely, but beautiful. Hitomi just watched.  
  
"We, of the Zaibach Empire, request that of Asturias assistance." He spoke, his voice loud and flowing like velvet, tattered velvet, "We require fuel, food, and other supplies. You have a minute to comply, or we WILL have to use force."  
  
"The Zaibach Empire is always welcome on Asturia soil." Allen called out, motioning to his fortress of wood and dirt. "Please, come in, introductions are needed."  
  
"You serve your country well." The boy spoke, soundind a bit dissapointed. Hitomi saw him, but did he see her?   
  
[Scene VI] (A/n: IS it me or do I keep adding more and more scenes and much more dialogue? Oh by the way, I love Dilandau..so...hehe...)  
  
Inside, inside the dark, poorly-lit main hall of the Asturian fort, they stood. Allen's men stood on balconys of the split-level, they stood in masses, hunched over, mismatched, ragamuffins. They stood with wandering eyes, with whispers of rumors and of discontent. Whispers of death, and of unrest. A glimpes of silver flashing, a glimpes of blonde, bowing. They stood with murder in their eyes, and uneasiness in their soul. Some were bored, some were excited, some weren't even present. The crowds stood in the darkness, in the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.  
  
Inside, inside the filthy, dark, poorly-lit main hall of this shabby fort, they stood. Dilandau's men stood in straight lines. They stood with their shiny boots together, with their backs straight, and their arms paralell to everyone else. They stood in rows, hardly breathing, their eyes fixated on the same thing. They did not whisper, they did not gesture, they did not even blink. They were like tin-soldiers from the 1940s on Earth, always the same and never changing. (Like Nazis! Hitomi thought to herself, and maybe that boy is Hitler, or Stalin, or Mussolini...) Silver ever-present, silver the only color besides red in their line of sight. They stood with pride in their eyes, but with fear in their soul. Some were dying on the inside, some were ready to die for him, and some couldn't think. The lines stood in the light, and the uneasiness of this whole situation. And they watched.   
  
But Van and Hitomi were neither of Allen's men, nor Dilandau, (or so he introduced himself as). They stood together, behind Allens men, hiding, and waiting. Negotiations over rations have been taking place for at least a half of an hour. Hitomi wanted to see, wanted to hear, wanted to get close and learn. Van told her to pipe down whenever she started speaking. They were way to polite, Hitomi thought bitterly. She furrowed her brown eyebrows and bit her lower lip, trying to stand on her tippi-toes to see the silver-haired "Demon". She couldn't. Finally Van pushed a little way through for the both of them, keeping a protective eye out for wandering eyes over Hitomi.  
  
"H-hey!" Katz, one of Allens men, harshly whispered. Van just smirked at him, daring him to do anything about it. Hitomi stood behind Van, and placed her hands on his shoulders, tapping on of them. Her short fingernails jabbed into a sensitive spot on his exposed skin. He heard her shuffle, and finally she started to speak.  
  
"Hey, Van...are you going to say anything?" She whispered. He shook his head, his locks shaking, and whispered back,  
  
"It would be dishonorly to be so rude. Honestly Hitomi, don't they teach you anything?" Van snorted, in a playful sort of manner. She blushed and stepped down, and muttered something along the lines of 'males!', while tutting. She looked up, and noticed Allen looking their way. Maybe they should keep quiet? Hitomi kept glancing, feigning boredom, over at the boy. What were they saying? Why won't they speak up!? Stupid acoustics!  
  
"By the way, Allen," She could hear him now, his voice drifting, sounding either bored or unamused, "have you seen a strange Guymelef in the area?"  
  
"No," Allen breathed, lying through his teeth. Hitomi saw Van tense at Allen's lies, and relax when he realised (and so did she) that Allen was protecting them. He trusts us? Hitomi asked herself. She tightened her grip on her bag and leaned in to hear better. "Does this have to do with the mobilization of the floating fortresses?"  
  
"More or less," Dilandau explained, concealing secrets. He shifted his weight, but not like he was nervous. Allen, seeing through this act, sneered. He didn't have particular fondness of the Zaibach, or of it's generals. They were different than other generals- they were machines, cold and without hears, without souls. They did as they were told, without question, without reason. No choice....right?  
  
"I heard that Fanalia, you know the small country to the west of here, was attacked," the knight interjected. For a moment, the boys face faultered. Usually composed, pale complexion, red eyes widened, breathing staggard, heart rate up, faulter. Then it went back to its normal way. Allen noticed, Van noticed, and Hitomi noticed. Noone else. The tension of the room was broken.  
  
"That little run-down, small, poor, lonesome, and pathetic country? That BACKWARDS so-called 'country'. Tut," Dilandau nearly chuckled and curled his lips into a snarled smile, "Perhaps it was destroyed by the dragons that seem to wander around there. It's a proper ending for such a...pliable country. Anyway, it's a country full of cowards and their king went into hiding! How silly, how...cowardly. How...Well, whatever, I don't care."  
  
Hitomi could see Van's blood boil, his fists clench and his jaw clamp. She saw his deathly stares as she drew herself next to him. She saw his pain, his hurt, his anger. His pride. She saw the angry tears threatening to spill, the lump in his throat. The mere thought of his people..being at their end. (Were their no survivors?) Then she saw him take a shakey deep breath and sigh. He muttered, in a clear and loud enough way, "Cowards are the ones who don't show themselves in battle."  
  
Well THAT got his attention. The boy who reminded Hitomi of a porcelain doll approached him, his strut more poised yet relaxed than anyone she's ever met. His hand rests on his hips, which seem to sashay as he smiles like the devil. His pointed teeth stick out as his lips curl up. He doesn't stop at Van, however, he stops at Hitomi. Her heart leaps into her throat and by some unknown force, she looks down.   
  
Apparently, he isn't pleased. He grabbed her chin and forces her to look at him. He examines her- her big green eyes with long brown eyelashes, her brown defined (never plucked or shaved) eyerbows, her small full lips, her thin little nose, her brown locks resting against her cheeks, and a blush creeping the way onto her thin cheeks. His eyes narrow, "You have no apparent flaws."  
  
"What?" Van clenches his teeth and snatches at Dilandaus hand. He missed, as to the fact Dilandau removed his hand quicker than Van could grab at him. Dilandau smirks, and turns to Van.  
  
"If I were you," he threatened, his lower eye-lid twitching, "I'd stay out of business that doesn't involve you."  
  
"You touching her involves me," Van snapped back, his defined mouth derranged with anger. He relaxes and laughs, "Zaibach always seems to want things they can not have."  
  
"Van.." Allen bolted over to the three and grabbed his shoulder. Van retensed and glared at the albino, who turned his attention back to Hitomi. As Allen was telling something to Van, Dilandau leaned and whispered to her,  
  
"I've never seen clothing like yours, little girl..Where are you from?"  
  
She chokes a gasp of air into her throat. Her heart pounds- she couldn't tell him. He leans in, and takes a deep breath. Is he smelling me? Hitomi asks herself, tensing at the closeness. Up close, she could make him out clearly. His deep red-pink eyes, surronded by a deep silver/onyx eyelash, flashing silver-white hair, with a tiarra-type head dress. His thinned out lips, pale like the rest of him. He smiles, an evil twisted sort of grin, and continues, "I know I'm gorgeous..."  
  
"Oh you arrogant pig!" Hitomi yells, startling all. All attention turn to the two of them, and it's so unbelievably silent you could hear a pin drop. Oh geez, Hitomi scolds herself, why did I go and say that? Everyone stares at them, and to her suprise- he laughs. A crystal clear, crazy cackle. He throws his head back, places a hand over his face, and laughs. "What?!"  
  
"Van, is it?" Dilandau finally asks, after his fitful laugh (which noone else seemed to join in on). Van nods slowly, unsurely, and approaches them. "Your woman is funny. But you really ought to have her...tamed? Teach her some manners. If someone gorgeous talks to her, she really out to reply with something less...rude. But, they always say that the prettier the girl- the denser."  
  
"Tamed?! HIS?! Rude?! Why I never!" The brunnete fumes, her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes aflared with anger. Van, as well, looks suprised and slightly abashed. How dare he..  
  
"Oh, well I just assumed.." Dilandau smirks, noticing their reaction to his comments, and ever-so enjoying them. Oh these two are too easy to make fun of, Dilandau thought,..so they're not together..  
  
"Well you know what they say," Hitomi interjects, her voice full of venom, "Assumed makes an as-"  
  
"Hitomi!" Van hisses, and she blushes and smiles nervously. The atmosphere seemed to change from tensed to easy to...something. Dilandau seemed a bit crazy, and Hitomi thought maybe he was like a crazy genius. He pivots to Dilandau, "Why don't you just get your supplies and leave, Zaibach?"  
  
"After I get what I want." He replies, grabbing Hitomi. Van gasps, and so does the rest of the room. What is he doing? Van questions, I don't like that look in his eye, I don't like how close he is to my Hitomi..wait, my? Van Fanel, he silently scolds himself, now is not the time to be thinking of romantic little notions that are completley preposterous! Hitomi isn't from your world, and just forget it..Just think about killing Dilandau...  
  
"Wh-what are you doing?" Hitomi gasps, watching his every move. He positions himself in front of her, and pulls her close to him. (What is he doing?! Van! Van do something!) Dilandau wraps his clothed, leather arm around her small frame, and pulls her closer. She looks up at him, as he IS taller than her, and he looks down at her, grabbing one of her hands, entangling his fingers with hers.   
  
Van fumes.   
  
Allen falters to move.  
  
Everyone stares.  
  
Hitomi believes that she is completely numb. Why wasn't her body listening to her?   
  
'Van!' She mentally screams. 'Van! Not you! Van...'  
  
"I want this.." He whispers, pressing his lips against her, closing his eyes. In shock, Hitomi can't move and he pries her mouth open with his own. 'Van!' Her first kiss from a demon. 'Why aren't you doing anything Van?' 


	6. Nirvana

A/N: Yes, yes, my chick-a-dees, this is still a Van/Hitomi fiction!!! I just don't know how to explain all these actions!! Oh right, :Cough: I do..I'm the writer and plot twists are my game...mwahaha..it all unfolds clearly as the story reveals it's true self...Like a good soap opera! Anyways, this is the chapter you've all be waiting for- where my own ideas come into play, and the real story is nothing but a path behind us....:cues evil music: Oh yeah, uhm Dilandau has a crush. 3 And he's not gay. I hate male on male fics. It's not pleasing to me.  
  
Dedicated to: Kechia, Honeypot, Infinitis, Cherryblossombabe, and of course SabineballZ  
  
[This episode: No fortune-telling Hitomi, but 'her world' shows us something that is not meant to be... And are things really what they are? Is this all just a dream..or maybe a vision! (can you tell i really like that line? lol) This chapter is fluffy, or at least I think...you all are happy with fluff? And maybe sad, bittersweet love. Maybe. I don't know. Right now I'm bs-ing this, so HAHAHAHAA. Who knows what I'll do.]  
  
She can't succumb to the darkness- to the fleeting sensation of warmth and intimacy, to the new feeling as her heart flutters and her body stiffens even more, to the loathing of this kiss, and her own stupidity (why didn't she do anything?). Her eyes didn't shut, not even for a blink, and she didn't melt into him, like he wanted. Her mind, screaming at her to move, move move!, and her heart yelling a name, any name but his, 'Van! Allen! Amano!'   
  
...No, no no no no noononono...Not Allen..not Amano...Van. Her heart clamored and hollered, 'Van! Van do something! Van, save me!' and her mind just wouldn't do anything. The boy with the silver in front of her, his eyes of blood, and his disrespectful ways. He whose name was the devil itself. -How dare he-.........   
  
Her eyes finally did what the rest of her could not. She looked at Van.  
  
Van, was in a state of a furious shock. His whole body just gave way into depression, anger, hurt, jealousy, but most of all vengence. His heart raced with the speed of a thousand charging soldiers, his blood racing through him like a flooded river, sweat pulsating from his forhead. Insane fury took over him, like a breath of relief. Dilandau, his now archenemy, stood with her in his grasp. His lips locked on hers, and his arms wrapping around her body. His hands, gloved of black leather, tracing her curves in the most seductive way. (Didn't anyone else see this? Why isn't anyone doing anything?) She looked stiff, fazed and apalled, and until she looked at Van- lost.   
  
When she looked at him with those green gorgeous orbs, he understood. He saw the pain, mixed with anguish, in her eyes, the unwillingness, and the untouched heart, that was pouding in her chest. The loathing of her captor and the needy glint- the desperation of help. She was calling to him, it seemed- a cry for help! Van understood, and he nodded, his raven locks flicking. He could save her. He was Van Fanel, a ruthless prince who kills all in his path. And currently in his way was a certain silver-head Dilandau Albatou. He looked at him with pure, utter hatred and disgust. -How dare he-..........  
  
And his eyes finally did what the rest of him could not. He looked at Dilandau and plotted.  
  
Dilandau, was in a state of pure bliss, and of total nirvana. A beautiful girl, who he knows is named Hitomi, in his arms, not so much kissing him, but not objecting. He just wished that she would return the kiss, and let it be that. She wouldn't fold against him, fit his movements, or even wrap her arms around him. His closed eyes slowly opened, just enough to see her, and she looked like an angel. Mentally, he grinned. She hated him. Good. She loathed him. Better. She feared him. Best. But most of all, she was vunerable. None of these other nitwits bothered to do anything, so Dilandau decided he was going to milk it for what it's worth. He moved his hands along the edge of her exposed thigh. He moaned, and his eyes flutter- his thick silver eyelashes mesh and flicker.  
  
A trigger to the explosion, if you will.  
  
Before Dilandau knew what was happening, he was flung off of her- his mouth torn from the warmth, and hit the ground with such force it almost hurt. Almost. His head hit the wood boards of the floor, and his limbs seem to follow suit, crushing him into someone else. Slowly sitting up in the most graceful way possible, he saw what caused the disruption. That boy. -How dare he-...............  
  
Van.  
  
---------------------------------------------(Episode Six: Nirvana)------------------------------------------------  
  
"What in the hell did you think you were doing?" Van errupted, with the fury of the gods, usually calm and composed, in his eyes. A very thankful Hitomi behind him, gripping onto his very short sleeve- hiding herself from him. He stood poised, with a threatning blade at his side, unsheathed. Dilandau, to keep his calm and pissed-as-ever attitude, slowly stood, swaying. Van sneered, his usual cynical trademark sneer, and demanded, "Answer me!"  
  
"Just when it was getting interesting," Dilandau clicked his tounge and snapped his fingers, which didn't seem to work to well as they were gloved. He chuckled, and ran a hand through his hair. It gleamed and as if tamed, fell back into perfect position, framing his face. He glanced at Hitomi, scared and doe-eyed, and than at Van, murderous. Dilandau smiled a fanged smile, and chuckled. "You know, Van, she really does taste sweet. Like honey, perhaps. Did you know that? I bet you didn't...Hey, Hitomi, have you ever kissed-"  
  
"Damn you.." Van cursed, interrupting, poison seething through his teeth. Flicks of gold flashing in his eyes. Hitomi turned a deep shade of red, and looked down at the floor. "I should kill you right here.."  
  
"That's enough Van," Allen remarked, and raised a hand. "There shall be no blood shed at this fort. Not at least today. Dilandau, your supplies are waiting you. I suggest you receive them and leave."  
  
"Thank you, Allen Shezar," Dilandau emphasized his name and clapped his hands. The echoing of the leather clap sounded throughout the hall. His troops filed out,as fashionably as they entered, their legs in perfect sync. "You're just as the rumors say.."  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment," Allen replied, his composure still steadfast. The pyro smirked and winked at Hitomi, who turned even redder. Van snarled. He gave her another look. She does have the prettiest eyes, he thought, and such soft lips.  
  
"This isn't over, Hitomi," he whispered to her, loud enough for Van to hear as he was in front of her, "You'll be in my dreams. Take care now.."  
  
"....Pervert," Hitomi muttered under her breath. She frowned, and told herself that she would at least have to wash her mouth 100 times before it would ever be clean. She turned her attention to Van, who was still poised and ready to at least strangle Dilandau to death. She released his shirt, and as if that was the cue, he returned his sword to its home. He turned to her, with a softness and gentleness she had not seem in him before. He reached his gloved hand to her chin, and tilted it upwards, inspecting her. He thumbed her lips, and without thinking about it, brushed locks of her soft brown hair away from her eyes.  
  
"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He asked, unaware of her nervousness. She shook her head 'no' and closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered, as it had not done with Dilandau. Her palms grew sweaty and she felt a blush creeping upon her cheeks. Van, she thought..Van rescued me. She reopened her eyes to his- his gentle, yet amazingly cold eyes. His beautiful brownish red, rich eyes, searching her for scars. [Not all scars are seen] "I don't know what I would've done..Hitomi..."  
  
"Van..." She breathed, in a whisper, in a voice that was not her own. Is he going to kiss me, Hitomi asked herself, is he going to.... He leaned foward, with such a boldness he did not know he had.  
  
"It appears we're safe for now," Allen interrupted. Hitomi mentally cursed him, but covered it up with a smile. Van appeared to do the same, but instead of a smile was his usual scowl and 'I-hate-you-and-wish-you-would-die' look in his eyes. Why is he like that? Hitomi asked herself, gentle one second..then a demon the next. I don't get him..  
  
Why does he have to act that way? Doesn't he see that he's a great person- and that shell is just blocking his trueself? Why...why should I care? Why do I care, Hitomi asked herself mentally. Van... "But it appears you're going to have a reputation in Zaibach, Hitomi. And maybe you too, Van."  
  
"Super.."  
  
[Scene II]  
  
She blinked. And again. And no longer was she there. She was suspended, in a place that reminded her of outerspace- except the background was a blend of purple and green, twriling and mixing, throwing her off balance. But, she discovered, that her feet were not even on any sort of ground. She wasn't on any sort of plane of existence. There was noone there, and try as she might, she could not move. Her body was locked, frozen between nausea and numbness. She tries to resist, tries to move- break free and glide her way back to the ground (if there was one). But alas, it does not work. She's stuck. Stuck in a place that is not a place, in her body (or so she was sure).   
  
She couldn't breath. Her chest moved, but no air entered. Was there air even present? Was this some sort of illusion such as before? Was her mind going into a state of delirium? Was she in fact thinking?   
  
Tangled in strings she could not see, Hitomi whispered, "Am I dead?"  
  
But in a place where time, space, and matter does not exist, how could anyone answer? How could she talk, yet not breath? Did she even talk at all? Did sound vibrate, or was it simply a trick? Her body glowed, an essence that would make the moon look dim. Her pale skin contrasted against the waves of violet and moss. Her brown skirt, a mahogany brown, oozing with cotton- a material foreign to the plane. Her shirt, more polyester and silk, seemed softer against her skin. She felt drowsy and tired. A sleepiness had swept over her, blanketing her in comfort.  
  
She started not to care. So what if she was dead? If being dead felt so good, then she was glad to be dead. Her body relaxed, and soon she drifted, slowly but surely, into nothingness. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that held her body there. She smiled, a coy and peaceful smile. Her limbs extended through enternity, her hair swayed through infinity, and her heart pounded through forever. It was like being in love.   
  
And then there was nothing. No warmth, no purple, no green, so restraints, no air, no illusions, no thought. As the black absorbed all, her feet touched down. And as her feet hit something hard, the world started to come into existence. Brown earth, crusted dirt, spread through her toes and out into the blackness. Grass grew, swifter than anything, almost at Godspeed. Flowers blossomed, and she could see the seeds become flowers in a blink of an eye. The earth that she created rushed through the darkness, like a flood through a small town. Mountains formed, lakes bursted, trees popped up (reminding her of a pop-up book she had as a child).  
  
And as she created the earth, she smiled. Above her, the bluest blue exploded and expanded across millenia. Clouds formed and sifted, perfectly placing themselves. Her heart swelled. White birds fluttered carelessly above her, singing foreign songs in a foreign tounge.  
  
"Beautiful." She awed. And everything stopped. So doing what anyone would do, she walked. And she walked. Admiring her creations, and not questioning how it came to be. It was her world. It sprung from her thought. She didn't understand how she did it, she just knew. And with that, the sun came up. And the world set fire. Pinks, oranges, reds, purples, yellows and all of the other warm colors churned through her world, settling and casting shadows. And she was at peace. The warmth was the last piece of the puzzle.  
  
"Hitomi." She heard someone call. But from where? She turned to the east, and saw nothing. She turned to the west, and saw nothing. To the south, there was nothing. And after a full 360 turn to face back north, she saw him. And he was gorgeous. He stood there, appearing out of nowhere.   
  
With heavy legs and butterflies in her stomach, she went to him. His tan arms were outstreched, open and waiting for her to embrace him. His hair, the deepest black she's ever seen, swayed in the wind of her breath. His smile, the warmest and most welcoming, played on his soft lips. And his wine eyes were so full of care and happiness. She reached out her hand, and her forefinger touched his gloved one.  
  
And it all started to dissapeared. Quickly, before she could take a breath, it all was gone. As if it wasn't meant to be. It started to evaporate into millions of peices, like a nova exploding all around her. She panicked.  
  
"Van!" It was a simply cry, and before his face had completley melted away, his eyes pierced her heart and he said softly,  
  
"I'll always be here." And then he was gone, away with the rest of the world. And again she found in herself in the darkness. Alone and cold and miserable. Van and I are not meant to be together, Hitomi thought bitterly, is that what this says? How cruel is this? Where at last I think I know and then it's gone? How long am I going to sit here, cold and alone? How long before he returns? Or maybe, she continued to question, I'm meant to be alone..? She knelt, her knees casting light against the blackened ground.  
  
She folded her hands against her skirt, her thighs, and sighed. And without her knowing, a single glowing feather drifted down. The light it emitted was so bright, so warm, she looked up and simply caught it between her two longest fingers. She smiled, and called out, "I know. I love you too."  
  
And she could find herself walking in the darkness, alone. But she was happy. She knew he loved her, and that thought alone was now her whole world. So maybe it was dark and the path was new- she had a beacon of light to show her the way.  
  
--------------------------  
  
"How long has she been asleep?" He asked, walking towards the boy, hunched over a bed where she layed. The room was dim, lit by a single candle that stood solo on the table in the corner of the room. He, a boy younger than him by at least 6 years, sat on a stool, his one leg awkwardly tucked underneath him, and the other bent against the floor, and which seemed to hold most of his weight. In his gloved, clasped hands was one of hers. He seemed genuinely concerned, and had it not been for the display earlier, in love. "Are you going to answer me?"  
  
"Allen," the boy growled, annoyed and perplexed. He let go of her hand and set it down softly against the blanket. He turned and stood, warily and cramped. "She's been sleeping for at least a day. How long were you spying?"  
  
"I wasn't spying, Van." He replied, nonchantly. It was the first time Van had seen Allen without his armor on. He wore black leather plants, and a white top- opened to see his bare chest, which seemed whiter than it should've been. There was a ribbon or sash of purple between the two, against his hip.. Allens' long blond hair, shimmering in the candlelight, was pulled together in a simply ribbon. The older man crossed his arms, and leaned against the doorframe, his blackboots crossing one another. He looked like a knight indeed, and his arrogance pulled it off well. "Do you think she will love you?"  
  
"What?" Van rasped. Allens gaudiness and straight-fowardness caught Van off gaurd. What right did he have asking those sort of questions anyway? It was none of Allens business, and yet the knight acted like it was. The blondes voice was monotone, and had it not been for the glimmer in his eye, Van could have sworn Allen was mocking him. "You know, Allen. I vowed to protect her. How can I protect her if she doesn't wake up? I know, it sounds foolish- call me crazy. I barely know her. I barely know you. I don't know what I've got myself mixed up into. But, I know something for sure. I know that if anyone, especially Dilandau, lays another finger on her in a way I don't like or she doesn't like- I'll personally chop off their genitalia."  
  
"You didn't answer my question." Allen spoke, softly and unfazed by Vans burst of emotion. He turned his back to the young warrior, and started to proceed down the hall. "You know, Van. I wouldn't want to be your enemy. I'm quite fond of my genitalia. But anyways, Van- she can't return your love unless she knows. Are you willing to take that risk? To give your heart to a girl you barely know? Are you willing to risk the wrath of Zaibach for a girl with green eyes and brown hair? Are you going to take that leap of faith and tell her what your heart knows? Because I, Allen Shezar, will if you do not."  
  
"Allen," Van began, a sneer across his face, "if you dare even look at her in a manner that is less than gentlemanish, you'll regret it."  
  
"I highly doubt that."  
  
"Shows what you know." Van muttered, as Allen left. The nerve, Van thought bitterly. He returned to his position by her bed. He watched her, with keen eyes. He watched the way her chest slowly moved to match her breathing. The way her hair layed, tossled and unbrushed around her. She looked like an angel, sleeping and innocent. But that's what she was, right? Innocence in its purest form. And, Van supposed, that's what drew him to her. Her laugh, her carefree ways, the way she didn't know pain and hurt and sorrow. She was opposite of him. His life was nothing but death and killing. He lived to kill, afterall. But this girl- with green eyes- could change that. Maybe. He was, in fact, willing to give it all up to protect her. She would never have to know of the hurt, the pain, the burdens. He would protect her innocence. It'd put his soul at ease to know what she didn't.  
  
And for once, he was happy with his life. He would happily kill for her, just to protect her innocence. He knew that with every person he had killed, she didn't have to. She would never have those sins on her heart. It was his nirvana, his way out. She was his way out of all of that guilt.   
  
With such swiftness, he took up her hand, and placed her fingers on his lips, and kissed the upperpart. He placed her hand where he kissed against her cheek. She smiled, and he was shocked. Was she awake? No, she was not. His eyes became soft, and he closed them.  
  
"Sleep well, Hitomi. I'll always be here. I'll be here when you wake up." He said, and sat back in the stool, watching her sleep. He crossed his arms and smiled. "Sleep well."  
  
Outside of the room, Allen leaned against the wall. He smiled. So he might have to push Van towards her, eh? This might be fun.   
  
[Scene III]  
  
"They have a woman in there, you know." He clicked his tounge and frowned. Against the shadowed steel wall, Folken moved. His movements were silent and descrete. Dilandau watched him through red eyes. To him, Folken reminded him of a large cat, perhaps a panther. His body hidden beneath the black cloak, and his eyes always full of wonder and a sense of knowing. Like he knew when something was going to happen before it happened, or already happened, or what was happening. He seemed to know the past, the present, and the future. Dilandau knew that he was smart, and agile. He had to be. Dilandau also knew not to cross a line with him.  
  
"Oh?" It was more of a question than a reply, and in a disinterested manner. Dilandau scowled and glowered. He hated it when people thought they were smarter than him. It bothered him, and it hurt his ego. Folken seemed to be calculating one move to the next. The strategos seemed disinterested in Dilandaus attempt to get a rouse of him. He decided to play the 'Van' card.  
  
"Oh yes, " Dilandau continued, in a voice full of sheer delight, "and so was a boy named Van. (that seemed to spark an interest) I think it was his woman whom I kissed. She tasted sweet, and I think I'd like her around. She seems like she'd be a good fu-"  
  
"Go back, Dilandau." Folken cut him off, knowing that Dilandau would go off on a tangent about screwing. "Boy named Van? Explain. Elaborate."  
  
"Oh sure, now you want to know-" Dilandau was inwardly giggling. He knew that would get Folkens' attention. Dilandau, was the king of gossip on board of the Vione. Everyone knew it. Folkens' patience was wearing thin. If Dilandau knew something, Folken would have to pry that information out of him. But it seemed, the blue-haired man knew that the red-eyed boy would spill what he knew. It was a sure thing, just like you knew the sun would come out after rain. Dilandau loved to share what he knew, and in the most giddy of ways.  
  
"Dilandau," Folken sputtered, lips pursed. " I'm not in the mood for your games. Tell me what you know. You do realise that Van Fanel is the king of Fanalia, right? If this is the same Van.."  
  
"Oh really?" Dilandau seemed to mentally jot that down. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and leaned against the railing. Below him, the world silently sat. The Vione was hovered above plains on the other side of a mountain that separated them and Allen Shezars fort. A forest sat convieniently adjacent to the mountain, the passage between them. Dilandau mused, and continued, "He was a hot-headed type of pissant. Black hair, tanned skin, brownish eyes. His face always seemed to be in a scowl...He was very unpleasent to look at."  
  
"That definately sounds like the king of Fanalia." Folken contemplated. He looked at Dilandau, who had a coy smile played on his lips. And as he watched Dilandau, Folken saw Dilandaus gloved hands move to his lips- his eyes still closed. Than, abruptly, Folken continued, "Tell me of the girl."  
  
This pleased Dilandau, Folken discovered. His eyes shot open, the pink become larger and paler than he had remembered. Of course, Dilandau was the one to memorize details, not him. He was better for the main picture. Dilandau gripped the railings, and started to sway back and forth. He laughed and began, "She was gorgeous, to say the least. Brown hair- but a golden brown that shimmered in the candlelight. And such green, large eyes. They were greener than the grass in the middle of spring... And her lips were soft, oh yes. (Dilandau licked his lips and Folken was sure he was thinking perverted things, as Dilandau does) She was dressed oddly, however. Clothes that I have never seen before. She...she was interesting. She talked to me in a manner none have yet dared too. It was amusing."  
  
"I see." Folken commented. Odd clothing, the strategos smiled and thought- Lord Dornkirk would surely wish to hear of such matters. He planned to tell him later, when Dilandau wasn't busy lecturing him on this-and-that. Inwardly, he did admit to himself that Dilandau had his purposes.   
  
"So the King of Dragons is in the fort? He was right in my grasp... To imagine. And I pissed him off. Lovely," the pyro giggled. "I wanted to kiss her. I didn't do it just to piss them off, that was just a perk. Something drew me to her, even if she didn't feel the same. Something was different about her. She had spirit. She wasn't like anyone I have ever met. I have to see her again."  
  
"First we capture the dragon, Dilandau. You know not to disobey orders. Besides, Lord Dornkirk might want her for something," the wiser one scolded. Dilandau laughed, and stood up straight- running a hand through his silver locks.  
  
"I know, I know." Dilandau turned and started to head the opposite way Folken was heading. His boots clicked loudly against the steel, and the metallic tinker echoed throughout the hall.  
  
"Where are you going?" Folken asked. He heard Dilandau laugh again, and he narrowed his eyes. "Don't get yourself in trouble."  
  
"Don't have a spaz, Strategos. I just need some fresh air." Dilandau called, dissapearing into the darkness. He heard Folken sigh and continue down the hall towards that strange room where he was able to talk to their Lord. The boy general headed towards a different door, and opened it. Before him, a balcony appeared. A rather large and empty balcony, mind you. He walked over to the opened ledge, where he could see the sky and the land. A soft wind blew through the area, and he leaned against the bars. He closed his eyes, enjoying the fresh air and the smell of the world. Suddenly, he saw her eyes. He let her name escape his lips, "Hitomi."  
  
Yes, she was different and that attracted him. She held the aura of something unknown, unattainable. It gave him a rush, such the fleeting feeling of fear, when he leaned into her, kissing her. She had stiffened beneath him, his weight probably to much for her. He had crushed his lips against her, pried her mouth open- and she had done nothing. Maybe she had enjoyed it, like he did. His thoughts wandered on to Van.  
  
That stupid boy. Peon. Pissant. Bastard. Hero... Dilandau shuddered. He knew instinctavely that he would not like Van. After all, Van is what seperated and destroyed their kiss. All because he was jealous- Dilandau was sure of it that Van was jealous of him. And why should he not be? He was Dilandau Albatou, leader of the dragon slayers. Elite class, general at age of 13. Gorgeous looks, if Dilandau did say so himself. Whisps of silvery-white hair, blood-red eyes, and quite a handsome face. Not an extremely pointy chin, like Allen Shezar, and not to much of a rounded one, like Van. A slender nose, and thin lips. He had muscles, oh yes, because he was able to pick up a good 130 pounds and throw it 10 feet. He had broad shoulders, good for holding women (or so Dilandau claimed). He didn't look scrawny like Van, or awkward like Allen either.   
  
Hitomi was lucky that he chose to kiss her. Most females would love to be in her position. So why didn't she? Why didn't she want to kiss him back? Maybe it was because of that cursed love. Did she love Van? Dilandaus' throat stiffened, and a lumped formed. He silently scolded himself, 'Of course she doesn't love Van. You will get her, all in good time, Dilandau.' But Dilandau was impatient.  
  
The sun started to set a good while back, and now the night sky took over. It must've been at least 9 o'clock, as the stars were bright and illuminous. The sky was blanketed with them, and the moonlight bathed Dilandau and the rest of the world.  
  
What was she doing now? She seemed like a good little girl- probably sleeping. Hopefully not in Vans' arms, or under Vans' eyes. Dilandau tightened his grip on the railing. He felt his hate for Van swell. It throbbed in his chest. To soothe his thoughts, Dilandau thought of Hitomi. His grip loosened, and soon he found himself on the ground, and nothing fazed him. His thoughts were of her.  
  
Was he in love? Did love feel like this? Is this what if felt like to be in love? Nothing seemed to touch him, and she lingered on his thoughts well past midnight. He finally decided it was time for bed. He could dream of her tonight. That would be his nirvana, his sublime. Her. She would flee to him before he was done. She would call out his name, and hold onto him for protection....  
  
And tomorrow he would capture Van, and claim her as his own. Dilandau Albatou smiled. Who knew a monster could feel love so deep?  
  
[Scene IV]  
  
"Hitomi are you going to sleep all day?" She heard someone call. A feminine voice. Slowly opening her eyes, the sun blinded her. Without thought, her hand flew to cover her eyes from the blinding light. The voice continued, "I leave you alone to sunbathe for two minutes, and look! You fall asleep. How lazy."  
  
"I wasn't sunbathing." She replied. Wait, what was she doing? She was, oh she couldn't remember. But it wasn't sunbathing. She was walking, yes she remembered. She furrowed her brows and thought harder. Before she was walking, there was nothing. The brunnette sighed, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "I was...I was.."  
  
"Sunbathing, like I said." The voiced laughed, and Hitomi felt a presence sit down next to her. Her eyes were still sore, and not adjusted to the light at all. Her head pounded, and her feet ached. How long was she walking? She could see faces surfacing, but before they could, the voice continued, "You do look really cute in that, Hitomi. Those sandles are adorable. This summer is going pretty well, ne?"  
  
"Yukari?" Hitomi murmered, opening her eyes. And next to her, with bright brown eyes and dark brown hair, (pulled back into two braids), was Yukari. She was wearing a yellow sundress, with sunflowers all over it. It was short, and Hitomi noticed the lack of shoes. Where was she? On the beach? She was sitting on a blanket, and slowly moving, it felt like she WAS on sand. And in the background, other voices started to come into play. There was laughing, the sound of the waves crashing, seagulls cooing overhead, flies buzzing, and every other sound of the beach. "Why are we at the beach?"  
  
"Uh, yeah? Who else would it be?" Yukari giggled. "Geez Hitomi, did the sun fry your brain or what? Don't you remember? Hello! Earth to Hitomi, haha okay.. Anyways, last saturday after Amano left for England, you promised you would get your mind off of him. I suggested the beach, and you said sure! So I was like, okay then let's go, so here we are! How could you forget?"  
  
"Sorry, I guess my mind was someplace else.." Hitomi muttered. She looked down at her feet, which had plain black sandles on them. She wore a white dress, short and spaghetti strap. Funny, Hitomi thought, I don't remember owning this...or putting it on...or wearing this the last time.. She felt sore. And hot. "Let's head to the boardwalk. I'm hungry, and hot."  
  
"Let's get some ice cream!" Yukari suggested. The duo stood, and started to head towards the peir, where stands upon stands of different shops stood. It was crowded, and the two slowly made their way through the crowd. Hitomi let her mind wander, as Yukari led her through the crowd. Amano left? She questioned, I didn't get to tell him...I don't remember what's happened since Saturday. Wait, what day is it? Who are these people that keep running into me and giving me odd looks? I don't remember...   
  
A white van rolled by, with a logo of "Allen's Wines; Deep, rich, and oh-so-sweet". Hitomi watched it head towards a building, that looked different from the rest.. Van? Allen..Wine... They all seemed linked, Hitomi thought. Of course they do! They're all dealing with that business, she scolded herself. So why did it feel familiar? And why did she feel drawn to that building?  
  
"Hitomi? HEY HITOMI!" Yukaris voice peirced her thoughts. She turned, and saw Yukari tapping her foot impatiently. "Well what type do you want?"  
  
"Oh, I guess strawberry, please." Hitomi ordered. She felt a blush rising on her cheeks as she looked at the boy working. He had a well-built chest, and such silver hair. He smiled softly at her as he handed her the cone. "Thanks.."  
  
"He was hot!" Yukari commented smarmily as they walked away from the counter, sauntering and arms looped together. Her icecream was dripping, but Yukari didn't seem to mind. The heat was nothing when the wind blew. Hitomi blushed deeper, and Yukari laughed. "Hey, let's eat over there..."  
  
"Okay," Htiomi agreed, as they took a plastic table with an umbrella. They sat in its shade, and watched the surfers from a distance. Hitomi smiled as Yukari rated each of their tricks, and of course their falls. Her mind wandered, as her best friend babbled on.. But suddenly, a figure approached them. It was a male, and it appeared to have a surfboard tucked underneath his arm. He stopped, not five feet from where they were seated. She felt her heart rush, beating so fast. He was gorgeous...It was like de ja vu, looking at him. His black hair was soaked, clinging to his tanning face. He had such rich eyes, and a soft smile.  
  
It clicked, and Hitomi dropped her ice cream.  
  
"Van."  
  
A/n: All will be explained next chapter. It's like getting all twilight zone on ya. HAHA! Review. 


	7. Adroit Albino

a/n: I'm updating. Shorter chapter. :D This chapter focuses mainly on looove. So if you don't like sappyness- don't read. Very little plot development (if I do indeed have a plot)  
  
Her eyes burned from the sun. The heat must've jolted her memory, or to some degree caused her to faint and have a memory lapse. The world seemed so serene, peaceful. The gentle waves breaking upon the shore. The hot sand scalding her feet. The archipelago where the seagulls rested at noon. She stood, icecream melting down her hand and causing her skin to feel sticky, attracting bugs. She didn't recall ever agreeing to go to the beach with Yukari. And she didn't remember Amano leaving for England.   
  
The deep pools of blue-green that stretched for miles, the white foam and the blue sky. This was not the scenery she remembered. The girl with tan skin, brown hair and big mud-puddled eyes and the wide smile. The goofy, odd embrace of the wind that tickled her exposed skin. The heat pounding against her bare back and the sand stinging her eyes. No, this was not right. The sun was way to hot for this time of year- the brilliance of the sun seemed hotter than anything she's ever felt or known.   
  
"Van." She repeated, and her company stopped walking on the splintered boards. The boy, whom she just saw and recognized, sprinted passed her and into the loving arms of some blonde behind the two. Hitomi turned to Yukari and grabbed her upper arm, gripping it tightly. "Who are you?"  
  
"Hitomi, what is this nonsense? I'm Yukari Uchida- your best friend!" The girl tried to shake free of the death grip. Such animousity was met, the confrontation between the two. Yukari hissed and pulled Hitomi closer for a private word. Her breath was hot, as she whispered, "What is the matter with you? For Christ's sake, Hitomi! I try to be nice and take you to the beach to get your mind off of Amano, and what do you do? Try to embarrass me? What kind of friend are you?"  
  
Hitomi felt her heart race. Panic coursed throughout her veins, rich with fear. Her bright, shimmering, green eyes widened- her pupils dialated due to the brightness of the sun. Her eyes, pools of emerald green, swirled with anxiety. Her heartpace quickened with each and every anomaly of the world around her- this was not the world she knew. This girl was not her friend. Yukari had a blatant hate for the ocean, and they lived near a body of water- but she was nearly 99.9% sure it wasn't the ocean. The season wasn't summer, either. Her vision became beclouded- the pictures before her eyes became puddles of color. This confirmed her suspicions- this was just a dream.  
  
There was no beatific feeling welcoming her after the vision melted around her. The air became stale and cold- adumbrating that something was not right. Her eyes stung with tears, leaking out of her eyes. Fear gripped her heart and she felt herself drowning within this fictitious world. The accretion of her fears caused her to thrash in wild panic. She slipped through the darkness, and found herself falling. Falling through her memories, like Alice down the rabbit hole. Would another Wonderland be at the end..or would reality finally be there?  
  
She felt her skin grow cold and glow against the backdrop of darkness that engulfed her. She held herself, hoping to take hold of her sanity and muster up the courage to live through this nightmare. She would never allow herself to give up so easily- knowing there would be an arodyne for her. Her source of comfort. She held her heart, listening to the pulse echo throughout the corridors of the absence of light.  
  
------------------------------------(Episode Seven: Adroit Albino)----------------------------------------------  
  
He sat, with the patience of a teacher or mother, next to her bed. He watched as she snuggled against the blanket of goose feathers and the pillows of fur. She was laying on her side, and with wild abandon, he watched as she drew each breath. When she exhaled, a small, almost unaudible mew would escape between her lips. He decided when she woke, they would abscond from this place, using Escaflowne. But until then, he would allow her to becalm his war-torn heart. He took pleasure in watching her sleep. Even while she slept, she looked like a little girl- full of innocence.  
  
That was her most attractive quality, he decided. Her innocence was contagious. Anyone who wished to destroy this would be considered blasphemous and would be killed. Her eyes reminded him of pools they used to baptize babies while they are still pure. He wondered if she has ever seen a dead body. He highly doubted it, but it would be interesting to know. She seemed adept in naivity.   
  
Without hesitation, he reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. He smiled as she snuggled against his gloved hand, and wrapped her arm around his. He shifted his weight so he was kneeling next to her, and she pulled him closer to her- enjoying the warmth of his body. He was going to take her affection sparingly and in moderation. To much would cause him to be weak, but to little would drive him crazy. She smelled like autumn leaves. He decided right then and there that he was in love with her. He would be adamant in protecting her, and would berate those who did not respect her and recognize true beauty when they saw it.  
  
"Damnit, I'm turning soft.." He chuckled, and in an atavistic way, he kissed her forhead. "I'm willing to be soft for you, Hitomi. You seem to alleviate all animus in the room with your smile. Damn me for loving you, and damn you for not knowing that I do."  
  
[Scene II]  
  
His composure the next day was quite the opposite of the day before. Instead of feeling giddy and willing to play games, Dilandau had a mission and he wasn't going to let some woman distract him. His every move beget sorrow. His every word would cause pain. He would burn Allen Schezar's fort down to the last man, leaving only the foundation left to serve as a warning to those who get in the way of the Zaibach nation. He would capture Van Fanel and spit in his face for ever thinking he could outdo Dilandau Albatou. He would steal Hitomi's heart, and if not, then her innocence. He would crush her and cause her to be so depedent on him she couldn't go a minute without his love. This would be easier if she was willing to be with him.   
  
What if he killed Van and then obtain Hitomi while she was vulnerable? It would be much easier to get her to love him. Maybe brainwash her into forgetting Van? Oh, the possibilities are endless. But that would have to wait. Already he was being distracted! Folken had already acceded in the idea of smoking the Escaflowne out from the fort. Folken had, of course, admonished him about the consequences and briefed him on all that could go wrong- and probably would go wrong. He smiles, knowing well enough that Allen I'm-the-best-knight-ever Schezar will probably be expecting an attack.. Afterall, he wasn't dumb- just a blonde.   
  
Dilandau relished in the thought of pain and misery- the only two sure things in the world. You could always count on the despair and lonliness felt on cold nights after a battle. And there was no doubt you would never feel more alive then when you're in pain. Pain is what made someone human. If someone didn't feel pain, then obviously they were not human. But, however twisted and saddistic Dilandau is, he would miss the comfort of fire. The warmth. The cloak of heat that embraced him when the cold set in. Battles would end, fires would burn out, but the memory of the warmth always soothed Dilandau. The only thing he wanted more than to kill, was to share the warmth with someone.  
  
Monsters, no matter how big and bad they appear, always want company. Misery loves company. The albino allows, just for a moment, himself to relax- remembering the warmth of her skin. The smell of her hair- the burnt smell tinged with leaves and musk. The golden halo of candlelight reflecting off the strands of amber ochre. The honey-golden brown and the deepness of her eyes. Full of emotions he's never witnessed. Full of memories he only wish he could understand.  
  
Fuck that Van Fanel. Dilandau's gorgeous smile turns into a look of disdain and hatred. He snarls at the thought of the raven haired menace. "I will kill him. Damn him to hell. Who cares if he is the 'dragon' we're looking for? Before the end of this, I will break him! I'll smash his skull in with the blunt end of my sword. I'll pierce his Escaflowne with a silver arrow and shatter his world before he can blink. His eyes, those god damn eyes, will be full of pain and misery."  
  
"No. No. I'll fuck his woman in front of him- allowing her screams to echo in his thoughts-" Dilandau balked and his expressioned softened. "No, no. I couldn't do that to her. Damnit, I'm turning soft.. I'm willing to be soft for a woman? Damn. Damn Van Fanel. Damn me for idolizing the girl with green eyes and damn her for not knowing the pain she causes."  
  
He turns, away from himself. His heart hardens once more, and he knows what he must do. "I'll smoke out the dragon, hand him over to Dornkirk and take that girl for myself. Yes, this will be fun. I have no room for failure."  
  
He clicked his tounge- characteristic of someone with sharp words full of venom. He found himself wandering the Vione, and finally came to the large hanger where his guymelef settled. He looked around, making sure no one was there, and stepped into the moonlight that reflected off the red metal. The hanger was part of the Vione that was open to the world, where the wind was soft and the air fresh.  
  
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he would get what he wanted.  
  
[Scene III]  
  
She opened her eyes, allowing soft light to enter into her pupil. Her vision, unfocused and clouded, became more and more clear with each passing second. Her head ached and throbbed like never before. "Ouch.."  
  
"You're awake?" A gentle, concerned voice asked. She wrinkled her nose and placed a hand in front of her eyes to keep the light from blinding her. A warm hand took her other hand and gently massaged it. This person, so kind. He, or she (Hitomi believed it was a he from the deepness of his voice), treated her like a china doll- afraid she would break. Slowly, she sat up. "You look a mess."  
  
"Thanks." She muttered, with a soft laugh. She shook her head and her vision became fully focused on the small room that smelled of pine. She looked at the hand that held hers. "Allen?"  
  
"Ah! For a moment I thought you might have forgotten where you were, little princess." He stood up, removing his hand from hers and sat down in a chair that was positioned next to her bed. He reached over to a small table adjacent to the wall and started pouring a liquid into a cup. After making sure it was full, he handed it to her. She took it, and greedily drank the contents. "Are you feeling better?"  
  
"To be frank, my head hurts like hell." The girl explained, gripping her head once again. "Christ.. What happened? The last thing I remember... The last thing I remember, is that albino had his lips on mine. That Dilandau."  
  
She sneered. Who, in their right mind, goes around kissing the first girl they see? She grimaced at the thought of his cold tounge making its way into her mouth. His hot hands, gripping her tightly with such hostility. His skin, the unearthly white glow and the strange warmth that went with it. His thin, silver hair that fell perfectly on his thick skull. Those eyes- those beautiful, ugly, red eyes tinted pink. Those eyes alone sent chills up and down her spine- making her weak in the legs. But she did not enjoy the feeling. She hated it. He made her feel weak, vunerable and exposed. His eyes, filled with hate and anger, that bore into hers. She brought her hand to her lips and bit down on her nail. She turned from Allen, ashamed at her inner thoughts, and muttered an inaudible insult.  
  
"You fainted, or something of the sort. Van carried you here.." Her eyes lit up at his name "..We dueled with our mechas. He insisted on leaving this place, with you, once you woke up. I called him foolish. He can barely protect himself, let alone a woman as well. Angered, he challenged me to a duel. If he won, I would allow you two to go. He didn't win."  
  
"Oh." Hitomi looked up, astonished at Van's rash behavior. She smiled inwardly, admiring his courage. She turned to the knight. "So where is he now?"  
  
"Good question. One of my men came, carrying, apparently, a native from Fanalia. Some girl that knew Van personally. I would imagine that they are together now." Allen explained, nonchalantly. He watched as Hitomi fell back onto her bed, and rolled on her side to face him. He moved closer to her. "Is something the matter, Hitomi?"  
  
"I feel hot. Like I'm burning up, " she told him, thrashing to kick off the blanket that covered her. He took off a glove and felt her forhead, causing her to blush at the proximity of their bodies. God, she thought silently, I'm so fickle! One minute Dilandau kisses me, next I think I like Van, and now this? The warmth of his body is so familiar. I'm just being stupid, Hitomi scolded herself, he just reminds me of Amano. His tall, masculine figure. Those warm, comforting eyes. Just like Amano. He looks so worried about me- I'm so much trouble to everyone. It's just like to me to mess up everyones lives..   
  
"You do feel like you have a temperature," he noted, and looked down at her. He could see why Dilandau and Van were so attracted to her. She radiated happiness and innocence. Those things that men of war lost long, long ago.That essence, that anyone who realised what it was, would soak it up every chance available. This is what made her desirable. Her beauty was amplified by that aura of innocence. In no sense. All of the sudden, Allen Shezar was hit with the same feeling that seized hold of the two other warriors. The feeling that he needed to protect her, hold her, comfort her. He sat down on her bed, and gently pushed her down, "Hitomi, you should rest. If you do have a fever, the best thing you can do is rest."  
  
"Uhm-" she mewed and squeaked at his bold behavior. She blushed and drew the covers over her, and he tucked her in the small bed. Little did either of them know, a black-haired boy carrying a small catgirl had just entered the doorway and watched their every move. Allen Shezar took a small piece of cloth from the same table he just got the drink from, and wiped Hitomi's forehead. "Thank you."  
  
"It is my duty as a knight, a man, and a friend to make sure you feel better. We should really find out what caused your illness." His gentle demeanor melted her heart. Clearing his throat, he stood up and turned to leave, noticing Van. "Is your friend alright, Fanel?"  
  
"Yes, Allen," Van hissed and walked into the room, setting down the girl on the bench opposite of the bed. He walked over to a closet (which Hitomi had not noticed before), and pulled down a blanket, and threw it over the girl before Hitomi got a chance to recognize her. "And her name is Merle."  
  
"Merle! She's alright?" Hitomi asked, excited to find out that the annoying fluffball was okay. Van scoffed at her question and shrugged. He turned and left the room, swiftly and silently- ignoring Hitomi completely.  
  
"What's with him?"  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
"Damn you, Allen Shezar." The warrior cleanched his hand into a fist and cursed. Sitting on the roof of the small outpost, under the falling sun and rising moon. Van, later, would find himself having an accretion of jealousy towards the knight. He looked down, closed his eyes, and sneered. The arable land, colored a brilliant green, stretched out for miles, but Van found his thoughts wandering to Fanalia. The lush forests, the vineyards and the acclivity of the hills. The soft wind that carried the calls of the wild dragons that roamed the lands. The people in their bedraggled clothing, but with hearts the size of Gaea itself.   
  
He, in the way all men seem to , found his thoughts back on the company he was currently keeping. Allen Shezar, the noble Knight of Heaven. Merle, his childhood friend. Hitomi. His heart panged as he thought of her. If he had a softer heart, Van would've found himself with hot tears streaming down his cheeks. How could one girl crush his heart so quickly? He sat by her bed and yet she blushed when Allen Shezar was near her, and not him. Why didn't she have a nervous squeak to her voice when he protected her? What was better about Allen Shezar than he? Everything about Allen was affected- he clearly did not care for Hitomi the way Van did!  
  
"Why..why do my thoughts wander to her? I shouldn't care about some damn woman! I should worry more about getting back my guymelef and returning to Fanalia! Fanalia needs me now, not her. She has," Van grumbled, "Allen Shezar."  
  
She hurt him. It only took a heartbeat, but she had done it. Her heart wasn't arcane. He knew her intentions now- she loved Allen Shezar and not him. How could anyone love him? He was a monster! He was no better than Dilandau! He, too, killed. He, too, found pleasure in fighting and the screams of weaker men. It aroused him, not sexually but mentally, to know that he was powerful. He liked the dominating feeling he got when another's life was in his hands. Fate was funny.  
  
"Van?" His thoughts were interrupted by the small murmer of the voice he knew belonged to her. Shaking off the gleeful feeling, he remembered the way she hurt him. "Van? Did you hear me?"  
  
"I suppose I can't really ignore you and pretend I didn't hear you," he answered, watching the sun take its finally plunge into the horizon. The stars started to shine above, with the Mystic Moon hanging in the darkened sky. The girl clammered up on the roof, (how she knew he was here baffled him and moreso how she got up here while she was supposed to be resting was even more puzzling), and, with not that much grace, carefully made her way over to him. She, as if knowing it would make his heart race, sat down next to him, panting. "What are you doing here, Hitomi?"  
  
"You seemed upset.. Van, did I do something to upset you?" She was looking at him. He could feel it. Her eyes, those brilliant green eyes, were boring into the side of his head. He ran a hand through his hair, and waved it in her face.   
  
Nonchalantly he answered, "What makes you think you did something? You did nothing wrong. You women.."  
  
"Van." She started, her voice above a whisper.  
  
"Always thinking you do something-"  
  
"Van.."  
  
"When it's what you don't do-"  
  
"Van!"  
  
"What?" He looked at her and melted. This would be the end of Van Fanel, king of Fanalia. The moon, causing those beautiful orbs to shimmer like the stars themselves, also reflected off her soft, light brown hair. The wind, gently blowing those short strands over her thin face. Her lips, trembling with dissapointment- a pale shade of pink. Her skin- glowing. She looked like a goddess. Who ever thought- who would every imagine- that a girl with such simple looks could look like a fucking goddess? Her complexion, flushed and with pinks tinged red from her fever. She tilted her head to the side and Van knew.  
  
He knew.  
  
Right then and there.  
  
He wasn't mad at her anymore.   
  
He turned to her, and she knew.   
  
She knew.  
  
Right then and there.  
  
She didn't want him to be mad at her. Ever.  
  
And they placed their arms around each other, and held the other close. He looked up and whispered, "You're supposed to be resting."  
  
She smiled, with that soft look in her eyes, "I'd rather be with you."  
  
"Hitomi.." She placed her head on his shoulder, and snuggled closely, inhaling his scent. His hair, that looked so coarse- was actually soft as feathers. His eyes- those wine-colored eyes of deep brown and mocha, tinged maroon that looked at her adoringly. "I'll protect you."  
  
[authors note; I wanted to make 'em kiss but decided against it.] 


End file.
